Getting back to living in season

Posted by Lisa Gilbride

When I was growing up in North Carolina, we ALWAYS opened the windows as soon as the weather would break in the spring. We did not have central air, only window units in the bedrooms and one on the main floor that was large enough to cool the dining room, living room and kitchen. The den was below the foundation and that area was always cool and where we spent most of our time when not outside.

Anyone who lives in the south can tell you it can get pretty hot during the summer months. However, my parents were into keeping the electric bill down and we only ran the air conditioning after the sun went down.

Then later in life I moved to Buffalo, NY where most houses have no air conditioning because heating is more important. Heck, up there you are really lucky to see two 90-degree days in a row. Summer does not last long if it comes at all.

So I have gone full circle from living with endless New York winters to living (here in Mexico) with endless summers. What a difference! Here most of the houses are made of masonry, tile and marble. Everyone has air conditioning and hardly any heating. It gets a bit chilly for me in December as the masonry makes my house feel like a refrigerator. We have only one room with heat and that’s the bedroom. We do not have central air as this is an older house built in the 50’s. We have window units in the bedrooms only. Believe it or not, because I grew up learning to live without air conditioning during the day, I am trained to not turn the air on until it has to be used. So I walk around in a pizza oven all day during the summer.

For example, yesterday was a nice and balmy 115 degrees, but I am so used to heat now it does not bother me. I have found that rooms stay much cooler when you leave the shades drawn and the windows shut until the sun moves off the house. As soon as the sun starts to set, the windows are opened for the daily breezes that cool things off until it’s time to go to bed.

Many people are so used to constant air conditioning that they have no idea what it’s like not to have it. If we train ourselves to adjust to seasonal temperatures, we are one step closer to being “green”.

How do you conserve energy? What have you trained yourself to live without for a few hours to save both money and the earth?

Would love to hear from you!

– by Lisa Gilbride