I have slacked on the observational side of the differences between the Pacific Northwest and the South. Here’s the two biggies that come up in conversation: the weather and health care.

Many conversations start out by mentioning my accent—the first cue I’m “different”—and end by talking about those two subjects.

First off, I wouldn’t want to lose my accent—ever! It’s the greatest conversational piece an extrovert could ask for. 

 The weather is also much different from the South. And it’s actually quite a picture of how vast the climate can be from one area to the next—even when the areas are only miles apart!

I live in a microclimate; imagine a snow globe but substitute the snow with rain.

The summers are relatively short with weather that’s often too beautiful for words. The winters are cold and wet with one or two snow days in between. Compared to the region surrounding me, I live in one of the “warmest” places. I only put quotation marks around warmest because I think of warm in Southern terms. However, it is a true statement that it’s the warmest place.

 That leaves health care…a sore subject that has ruined many a conversation.

I realize that this is the hot topic buzzing around the country, but many citizens are woefully uninformed. And that’s why this health care “reform” was passed in the first place. The number of individuals who think critically are few and far between.

I do not want to do this topic an injustice, so be looking for my thoughts on health care to appear next week.

Here’s a question to think on this weekend:

What are some of the differences you can think of between the Pacific Northwest and the South?