Ways I Stay Cool in the Summer

by Sarah W

Ways I stay cool in the summer

I don't like to run the air conditioner in the summer. There are so many good things to spend my money on, why should I pay a hundred dollars a month just to be in a room with a cooler temperature? Besides, I'm not convinced that air conditioning is healthy. When I visited Europe, I learned that people there don't use air conditioning very much, because they believe that it isn't healthy to go in and out of it, from cold air to hot. I agree with that- I'm much more comfortable in the summer if I don't run the air conditioner, and just teach myself to adapt to the hot weather. It's uncomfortable at first, but after the first few weeks, I get used to it.

That doesn't mean I don't want to stay cooler on the hottest days, though. My favorite strategy is a cool bath or shower in the evening. Just as the heat of the day is beginning to fade, I run a shower as cool as I can enjoy- not completely cold water, but as cool as I can stand in without shivering- and I stand under it until I feel cooled off. Then I put on light cotton pajamas, and go to bed in a room with the windows open.

Ideally, I like a nice cross breeze, so I try to open two windows on opposite sides of the house, if I can.

During a hot day, I might go for a swim in the outdoor pool during the hottest part of the afternoon. Or I might relocate myself to somewhere cooler, by going to the movies, or to the public library, or even out for a hot fudge sundae at a fast food restaurant.

And of course, if I really am uncomfortable, every once in a while, I'll break down and turn the air conditioner on. I'm not a complete Luddite, after all. I don't like to spend money on air conditioning, because I'd rather spend it on books or movies or travel to interesting places, but if it's approaching 100 degrees and I feel uncomfortable and ill, yes, I'll turn it on and grit my teeth and pay for the gas to run the air conditioner.