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Comment by javajosh | Hacker News Reader

I'm not sure if others have experienced this, but my brain doesn't function very well in tropical heat and humidity. It just seems to slow down, and mental games don't seem as interesting. It may be that I've been conditioned by many episodes of tropical vacations growing up, but whatever the reason, I can't (and indeed, don't really want to) code below about 30 degrees latitude.

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Having once lived in Florida, there is a greater culture of AC in the far south than in the far north. I have been more uncomfortable during the summer in Connecticut than I ever was in Florida.

That said, I think there is a mindset to enjoying the heat as well. You should probably not expect to go hiking through the woods in the summer in Florida. It's just not pleasant to be in such places in such humidity with such insects. If you live in Florida, your weekends should be spent at the beach (and please do not call it the shore, it's like calling it soda vs. pop). Sand will get into everywhere and everything, so learning how to deal with sand is a major part of enjoying Florida.

Sounds similar to the Melbourne vs Gold Coast divide here in Australia.

I grew up on the Gold Coast. I love sand. :)

And Florida calls it the Gold Coast too.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast_(Florida)

And Florida has a Melbourne too!

Which, however, is on the "Space Coast". :)

I'm the opposite. My brain works well as soon as I'm no longer shivering. Sweat doesn't phase me too much. It's great for me out here in Phnom Penh, would be too hot/humid for most folks in the long run, but suits me perfectly. Oh yeah, no AC or fan going in my home office here either!

Back north, outside of 2 months of summer you keep having to adjust heating or put on/take off layers of clothing as the time of day progresses, and the slightest shiver gives me a "what is this, I shouldn't have to live this way, I give up, brain shut-down initiated" wave of misery :D hence, tropics suit me best and I do manage to get stuff done here. .

I don't mind sweating at all, as long as I'm wearing swim trunks and nothing else. Sweating at the office, wearing underwear, pants, and a t-shirt - that rises to the top of my conscious mind, poking me repeatedly.

I'm sure most start ups in Miami have A/C, so I'm not sure what your concern is. Most apartments too.

Anyway, I live in an area that reaches 43c in the summer and -6c in the winter. When I first moved here it definitely threw me off, but I got acclimated to it quickly.

As someone who grew up in Milwaukee and moved to Charleston, I agree 100%. One of my largest clients is in Milwaukee now and I can say definitively that I have lost all tolerance for that bitter cold. And to all you Canadians living north of the wall... I don't know how you do it.

Being in Vancouver/Victoria helps. It's basically Bay Area climate.

Well, not quite. In the summer Vancouver/Victoria are both way nicer than SF. I personally don't think there is a nicer place to be in August. In the winter, they're both colder.

Neither compare to the peninsula though. It's still mid-20s in Palo Alto during the day right now whereas its mid-teens in Vancouver.

Pst, Seattle has nearly identical weather too. And it's half price! (ish)

Haha. Don't think so... Palo Alto = it rained once since May so far. Not exactly Vancouver weather.

I actually really prefer the Winter. I personally think when you start feeling like a Canadian is when you enjoy the winter weather.

For whatever reason the sun in Canada really seems to burn(at least in Toronto area) and it can get really humid in the summers. But in the winter you can always just bundle up and feel comfortable.

I'm a canadian, I really appreciate the weather down in the bay area after growing up in seattle weather for my childhood and college years. Don't miss the rain and the cold, or the 'lack of seasons' some friends seem to complain about.

> Don't miss the rain and the cold, or the 'lack of seasons' some friends seem to complain about.

Mother nature is apparently great at causing Stockholm syndrome. You're lucky to have gotten out unscathed. :)

American northern midwest is colder than what most of Canada's population experiences.

Except for the Canadian southern Midwest....

... which is why I said "most".

The heat makes me lethargic

I used to think that - but then I spent a summer without A/C by necessity. You really do get used to the heat within a few weeks and it's fine.

To show you my agreement with this, I usually go to the beach in end of Sep/early October in the mid-Atlantic. I don't get lots of swimming or sun bathing in, but there's very few people and the early Autumn storms makes the Ocean magnificent (plus all the stores and tourist places want to move inventory out for the off season so lots of cheap activities and things to buy).

Same here. Heat makes me very irritable.

We're recruiting in Myrtle Beach, SC: WhyNotTheBeach.com

Not quite so far south, great weather, big city amenities, even lower cost of living, fiber to the home...

Do you find the opposite happens? Are you more calculated in snowy environs?

Yes, but the effect is not pronounced. I seem to do well in relatively cool, dry environments. The humidity, I think, is what affects me the most. I live in LA, which isn't exactly cold, but the humidity is always low, which makes it comfortable. But when it gets hot, my brain does get sluggish. It's true that AC helps, a lot. :)

I don't think it's cold indoors, in cold locations. Of course you can't go to sit in a park with a laptop when it's cold.

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