Hot weather is just happy weather!

I like hot weather and I don’t care about the seasons.

Because hot weather is just happy weather! If you’re not a runner, you probably have no idea who Jacob Ingebristen is (he’s the best middle-distance runner in the world!) but here’s a brief video of Jacob a few weeks ago during the world athletics champions in Oregon:

I’m a huge fan of Jacob. He’s extraordinary. I love running and I know that running in hot weather can be rough, yet there Jacob Ingebristen in me: hot weather is just happy weather! There is something about hot weather that makes me happy! Or maybe I’m just always happy about my running.

Sometimes in my stories I whine about Florida. I spend my time between California and Florida. Both states experience hot weather, but Florida is hot and humid. You step outside in the evening and it’s still like a sauna.

So occasionally I complain about the quality of my runs in Florida but overall I’m in my territory when it’s hot and sunny!

I’m Russian and I lived in Boston too so I’ve seen it all — terrible winter storms, chilling winds, undrivable roads; beautiful mornings too when the snow is shiny and crunchy, when you finish your outdoor activity and your cheeks are flushed, your body is energized and cleansed by cold air. My wedding took place in Moscow at the end of December 2002 — it was colder than 30C. We traveled from one place to another, without hats, our coats unzipped, in awe of the cold weather, yet laughing at it because it was all fun.

Being used to snow and cold weather should be part of my DNA.

Maybe it is. If I find myself in freezing weather, I’ll be ok.

But I love hot weather! California — yes! Florida — yes! A few weeks ago I was passing through Phoenix. It was scorching hot. Yet I could imagine myself living in Phoenix. I spent my very first year — as a foreign exchange student in the distant 1995—in Oklahoma. For many days I helped my host family clean their farm after a tornado — oh boy was it hot. I loved it!

When it comes to National Parks, I love deserts and canyons over forests! Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Grand Canyon.