I live in the southeast.
There is a lot to love about southern living, but there is one major disadvantage, as well.
That’s right, you guessed it, the overwhelming heat and humidity. It is hot and humid in the southeast, and it is hot and humid for the better part of the year. A lot of our time and energy is spent on ways to beat the heat. We have a lot of weapons in our arsenal, and we are not afraid to use them. First of all, the best time to sit outside is early in the morning. If you want to leave the comfort of the a/c, you better do it early before it gets too hot. Bring your coffee out onto the porch and sip away. Turn on the ceiling fan while you are out there. That’s right, we even have ceiling fans outside! Next, take cool showers. Instead of really hot showers, you should use cool water, and then, you should dry off while sitting under the ceiling fan. Next, keep cold beverages on hand. Sweet tea and lemonade are favorites, but I personally am trying to drink more water. These are all great weapons, but by far the best weapon is air conditioning. Most houses in my area have central cooling, but there are a ton of options available. My brother has HVAC with zone control and room sensors that shut off the a/c when there is no one in the room. My sister has a mini-split air conditioner in the great room that was added on to the back of her house. She loves it because it is ductless and saves space and installation hassles.