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People all over the world view their ideal climates very differently, according to their own personal taste.  Some people like the sun and warm weather; others like cool air, with rain and breezes, for most of the year.

I have lived in several states in the USA, as well as living abroad, during my short lifetime.  The three states that I tend to think of most often when thinking of the “good times” are usually California State, Washington State and the state of New Jersey.

Living in these different states, at one time, are very different than living in other states, as you can imagine.  The climates couldn’t be more different.  They are like night and day. People who like one state don’t usually like the other, because they are so different.

Southern California is nice most of the year, sunny, breezy, pretty dry, with mildly warm weather.  Going to the park, on picnics, driving around and all of these things can be planned in advance without much looking at the weather channels for details. You can almost guarantee that you’ll have a fun outing without getting rained out. But, when the end of Spring and the beginning of Summer emerge, forget about it.  The heat turns up and it becomes unbearable to most folks, even to native Californians.  When you step out of the air conditioned environments and go out into the raw elements, you feel as if you’ve stepped into an oven.

Western Washington State is known to have a pretty mild climate, year round.  In the Winter, its cold but not extremely cold (may snow on occasion, but doesn’t usually stick much); in the Summer it’s warm, but not extremely hot.  But, the problem with our state is that it’s almost always gloomy or rainy, most of the time. If you see that you’re having a sunny day, with warmer temperatures, you’d better go out now, before the weather changes.  Because you’ve got to monitor the weather channel pretty closely to see what they predict will be going on that day.  Being rained out of amusement parks, water parks, picnics, etc. are pretty common place.

Northern New Jersey is what I consider my home since I was born and raised there during most of my childhood years.  But, Northern New Jersey is anything but mild.  In the Winters, it may dump 3 feet of snow on you, in the middle of the night; and in the Summer it is so humid and sticky that you feel as if if you ever would try to take a running leap from the ground onto a wall, you’d absolutely stick to it. Just like a little fly.

I guess the moral of the article is, every state and country has it’s own benefit.  It really depends on your point of view and your personal taste.  Some people like warmth; others like cold; others like the urban, busy lifestyle; others prefer to live in the country, on a large piece of land; yet others want to live on the beach and breathe in the fresh salt sea air.  But, everyone must stay where they feel it’s the best for them, all around. Not only a place with a great climate, but also an affordable city and state, with a good dotting of relatives or friends, good schools, or whatever matters are important to you the most.  I think it’s lots of fun to live in different places and travel around to see the vast differences from state to state, country to country.  You never know whether the grass really is greener on the other side.

It’s been my experience that people are all consumed with controlling others actions. I think everyone needs to focus on themselves, work on becoming a better human being (all around), and then hint or give advice to others that seek it, but without holding a rubber mallet over their heads and (non-verbally) threatening to bonk them on the head, if the other person doesn’t do what we want them to do.

Often times, I feel people get too involved in asking others about things, thinking about things to do with others, and lose focus on themselves. Humanity is such a work in progress. Meaning, we have so much work to do within ourselves and so little time to do it, we really need to sit around and figure out what is it we wish to accomplish in our lifetimes.  Do we wish to be like everyone else or look outside the box and be our own people?

I  really wounder- when people sit with me, do they feel as though, If I weren’t there, it wouldn’t be as fun as it was when I was there?  Because honestly, when I’m around people who don’t say much, don’t have much of an opinion, don’t even speak much in general, I oftentimes forget they were even in the gathering. Make yourself be heard, make yourself be known, never let people forget that you were there!  I usually refer to the people who have no real personality as BLANK PEOPLE.  Don’t be a blank person, be a person full of life, full of opinions and voice them.

I’m not saying that you should let the cat out  of the bag and tell everyone your deepest darkest secrets, if any, but I’m telling you that you are in charge of you, and if you feel uncomfortable with what someone is asking you to do or someone trying to pry information out of you, you can put a stop to it.  I always say, “If a person is not ashamed to ask personal questions, don’t be ashamed to let them know it isn’t any of their business.” But, the tact with which you say it, is entirely up to you. You can be blunt or find a perfect phrase (for you) that lets them know you aren’t willing to spill the beans, but at the same time, it should cut down on a lot of drama.

In the end, you are in control of your life, and how much you say to others about your personal life, is entirely up to you.   But, remember it may backfire on you if you say too much, because when it comes to gossip and talk, people often remember the fine details that are usually embarassing or negetive, and in most cases the person who told the story has already forgotten all about.  If you don’t want your news spreading through the town like wildfire, weigh your words carefully.

People often think they should focus just on one subject in life and go for it. That may be good in your college years to keep you focused on one area of study, but honestly, in the real world, a person’s views change many times over the years.

I focused on Culinary Arts in my college days because I thought I loved it more than anything else. I also wanted to focus on writing, but I was seriously thinking I would have trouble getting published, so I figured I’d focus on the cooking aspect. I went through years of cooking school and excelled at it, but in the end when I went out into the job market, I just wasn’t pleased with what I saw.  Nonetheless, I worked for years in the culinary field and was not shy to say that I was totally unfulfilled as an individual and I was constantly seeking more. I decided to go back to school, while I continued working and became a certified ECE (Early Childhood Education) teacher.  Working as a teacher with grades:  Pre-school through 4th grade, I realized I had found my niche.  I felt as if I was doing something for the world, and my whole mentality began to change.

Once my son was born, I became a SAHM (stay-at-home-Mom) and I am even more fulfilled with that role.  Although, the job requires a lot more of me than my previous jobs, combined.  I dabble in writing and have written 8 short story anthologies, as well as nearly completing my first novel.  Will I find a publisher who is willing to read my books and make me famous?  Maybe.  Am I seeking fame?  No.  I honestly would be pleased if I just get my books published all around the world, in different languages and to be the new “IT” girl capable of writing stories that are spellbinding and take the reader into a magic world that is unlimited by the imagination.

Am I a success at everything I’m trying to accomplish?  No.   Am I a failure at things I’ve trying to accomplish that didn’t work out?  No, yet again.  I am an ever evolving person who is changing with the years and the experiences that pass me by.  It’s as they say, “You’ve got to be in it, to win it!” You need to be your own advocate.  Do what you need to do to follow your heart and fulfill whatever subjects are tugging at your heart strings.  Sometimes the things you thought you’d be good at, you’re not so great at, but sometimes the world is opened up and everything you touch turns to gold.  If you are discouraged before you start you’d never get anywhere.  Others would just pass you by, while you sit by and watch them all ahead of you in the rat race of life.

It is not wrong to be good at several things and try to nourish them by working on them more diligently. We shouldn’t be satisfied with how our life’s are going.  They can always be better. We can always achieve more, as well as learn more.

In the past many people may have thought that I should stick to one subject to focus on, and that was cooking (in some people’s minds).  But, for me, in order to fulfill myself and make my soul soar free and uninhibited, I needed to dabble in all of those things that made my heart go pitter-patter. Cheffing, teaching, Mothering, writing, blogging, etc. I even let art fall by the waste side years ago, but maybe I should re-focus and bring myself back to that?  The point I am trying to make is this, you are the one in control of turning the pages in your life.  Do you wish to stay in the rut of what your life has become, or do you wish to advance yourself and feel the deep feeling of accomplishment and contentment after you have done what you set out to do?

Overall, what I’m trying to bang into your heads, is this— when you are living in the real world, surrounded by chaos and people who want to watch you fail, the most important thing to do, is to keep true to yourself. You must sit down and jot down all the things that you are whole heartedly interested in, and decide which things you choose to pursue at this point in your life. The other things can possibly be accomplished at a later time, but you can narrow it down some until you get those things going pretty well.  At that point, you can re-evaluate your life and what you feel and see where you choose to go from there.