Contentment Is a State of Mind

Some thoughts on the weather and on learning to love the place you live

Photo by Done By Alex on Unsplash

Hello friends,

The last gasp of winter is blowing through, one final weekend of brisk weather. I'm luxuriating in my cozy sweatpants one last time before the summer clenches its hot, sweaty fist around us all.

I complain about the summer, as all Floridians do. The heat can be unbearable at times, making the outdoors hostile and uninviting. I don’t know how people lived here before air conditioning existed. But at the end of the day, when it cools off to about 80 degrees, I wouldn’t trade this place for anything.

It took me about 25 years to reach that conclusion, but some things can only be understood with time. As a teenager, I couldn’t wait to leave this place. I wanted to move to the city, to a place bustling with people. I craved the belonging of a crowd. That illusion disappeared the summer I interned in New York City. There were too many people and not enough trees, and I missed the quiet swamp of my childhood.

Don’t get me wrong; I love to travel. But Pinellas County is paradise. And as an adult, I finally learned that contentment is a state of mind. You can’t chase it, but you can find it if you know where to look.

Just a short one this week. My brain’s been a bit fuzzy. I still wanted to say hello, though. Hello.

Until next time,
Yardena