I took a few days off writing to relax and get into the swing of being on break– this last semester was gnarly; I don’t think I’ve ever done homework so frequently and often.

I’ve been reading books I picked on my own. I’ve been drawing the pictures I want to draw. I’ve been eating all the food possible.

It’s been wonderful so far, especially since I am sitting on the warm, sunny deck of my mother’s condo in Siesta Key, Florida, with three arching umbrella palm trees framing the bay. The sea breeze jostles the thick, waxy leaves like worn-down sand paper. The sky is endlessly blue like the sea, and airplanes are the fishes skimming the surface.

Not to mention, I’m sipping on one of my favorite beers, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, with no obligations besides writing about the things I love to write (this blog), and reading about apocalyptic worlds related to climate change and the destruction of the environment.

Pure bliss.

It’s refreshing to be in a different location. It’s also strange. December for me means cold, cloudy, dreary, miserable, snowy, depressed, and family obligations.

But here I am. Surrounded by palm trees, tropical birds, tiny dashing lizards, white sandy beaches and crashing ocean waves. Some of my mom’s friends have already been down here for a while, complaining about the weather so far:

“Oh God, good thing you guys weren’t here two weeks ago, it was so chilly. Downright cold. The weather is starting to get warmer, wouldn’t you say, Terry? Just a little bit warmer. So strange. I don’t know why it’s been so cold.”

Naturally, after I heard this over dinner, I did research. I found Florida State University’s Climatology site, which informed me that, yes, Florida’s chilly winters are, in part, due to climate change–shifting bands of low-pressure systems dropping its heavy cold air onto the sandaled-toes of Floridians.

People, old and young, flock south to Florida like migratory birds to chase the warmth. But the cold is playing tag, and following people south. Michigan is cold during the winter, but Florida’s not supposed to be.