Has Moving to a Warm and Sunny Climate Made You Happier?

[MTF]

Very interesting map, but sun and temperature are two very different things and don't always go along. Plus, there's humidity that plays a factor as well like McAdam said.

They don't go together for sure. Most people prefer dry, sunny and cold over warmer, humid and gloomy, though. I mean differences like, say, 10 degrees Celsius and dark all the time vs 0 degrees but sunny.

Humidity is definitely an important factor but that's way more local than the amount of sunshine.

The difficult part of the weather was that winter is extremely dry. This caused a series of illness such as sore throat etc in people that are not used (or "designed for") to that climate. My skin was constantly dry and I started to have some weird issues because I was used to the totally opposite (foggy italian winters)

What helps in the heating season is an air humidifier. I had terrible issues with dry skin last year without an air humidifier. This year is way better.

I now moved to Lisbon which has all the perks of Italy but without the fog. The sheer amount of sunny days is incredible. Everyone is sitting outside in restaurants and cafes. The water at the beach is freezing though.

Lisbon is one of the sunniest and warmest cities in continental Europe. What's lacking, though, as you mentioned, is warm water. Even in the summer the ocean is never comfortably warm (even in the Algarve it's not really that great).

How's heating in your place? Are you freezing at night or is there good insulation and good heating where you live? This is a notorious problem of southern Europe (I've never ever been colder than in Spain and Greece in the winter).

 

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[woken]

I’ve been living in London for the past 8 years.

I’ve been spending more and more time over the summer and winter in Italy, 2 months each respectively.

I feel lovely, the summers are lovely and warm and the winters nice and cozy.

My weight stays the same or I add a bit of weight. Overall I’m happy while I’m there and seems like nothing can stop me.


Whenever I come back to gloomy London,
I feel like I never have energy, I’m sooooo F*cking stressed( no other words to put this in). I lose my appetite, eat less, lose weight.

Whenever I wake up and the sun is coming through the window I feel like I’m back and ready to conquer the world.

Before I spent time in Italy I never had this problem. Weather never affected me and I used to love gloomy weather and rain. Now, I don’t have energy when there’s no sun.

 

[MTF]

Before I spent time in Italy I never had this problem. Weather never affected me and I used to love gloomy weather and rain. Now, I don’t have energy when there’s no sun.

Once you taste the climate to which we're adapted biologically you can't ever go back

 

[woken]

Once you taste the climate to which we're adapted biologically you can't ever go back

I’m really struggling, both mentally and physically.
Need some vitamins ASAP!

 

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[notorious]

I always visit Bodrum (Western Turkey) in the summer and it has really good weather. Summers are great because the weather isn't too hot nor too cold. It's that temperature that's warm but pleasant. It's also very dry in the summer, so no humidity either. There's a slight wind you notice when you lay down at the pool but nothing too annoying.

When I visited the US, I found Neveda to be comparable, although it's way hotter in the summer which gets irritating rather quickly.

 

[Giallo]

How's heating in your place? Are you freezing at night or is there good insulation and good heating where you live? This is a notorious problem of southern Europe (I've never ever been colder than in Spain and Greece in the winter).

You nailed it. It's terrible. It's as if they didn't design the homes for winter at all. Most buildings are very old and have terrible heat insulation. Even updating the windows is not enough. I had to get used to dress a lot at home, use a small heater if I'm working at a desk, things like this.

I've always been fascinated by the idea of living in two different locations. I'm not sure about how feasible this is -move your whole life every 6 months.

That aside, I think we also under estimate how important light is inside our homes. Sun is what we see from the windows and enjoy when outside, but I've seen plenty of private homes with a terrible lighting over the years and I'm 100% sure that affects your mood. (think about homes with blue spot lights that make your livingroom feel like a parking lot at night and then nice warm light that bounces off the walls or illuminates your room properly. It certainly affects your focus and well being)

 

[MTF]

You nailed it. It's terrible. It's as if they didn't design the homes for winter at all. Most buildings are very old and have terrible heat insulation. Even updating the windows is not enough. I had to get used to dress a lot at home, use a small heater if I'm working at a desk, things like this.

Because they don't design them for winter. Their thinking is that it's "just" 2-3 months of freezing your a$$ off and then they'll be back to complaining that it's too hot.

That's why I prefer spending winters in a cold country where I have proper heating and can enjoy 25 degrees at home rather than freeze in a semi-warm country in the winter. I've done it a few times already and now the only places where I'm heading for the winter are tropical destinations (or the southern hemisphere during their summer).

I've always been fascinated by the idea of living in two different locations. I'm not sure about how feasible this is -move your whole life every 6 months.

That's roughly my plan for the future. I don't think it would be that challenging unless you have kids.

That aside, I think we also under estimate how important light is inside our homes. Sun is what we see from the windows and enjoy when outside, but I've seen plenty of private homes with a terrible lighting over the years and I'm 100% sure that affects your mood. (think about homes with blue spot lights that make your living feel like a parking lot at night and then nice warm light that bounces off the walls or illuminates your room properly. It certainly affects your focus and well being)

Most places in Spain, Portugal, Italy, etc. are like bunkers when it comes to light. I get that they want a cooler home in the summer but to me it's depressing as hell to have tiny windows or don't have them at all and can't even look outside.

 

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[Chapas]

You nailed it. It's terrible. It's as if they didn't design the homes for winter at all. Most buildings are very old and have terrible heat insulation. Even updating the windows is not enough. I had to get used to dress a lot at home, use a small heater if I'm working at a desk, things like this.

I feel you. Have been working from home with 2 pairs of socks, 2 shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 jacket and 2 pairs of jeans on today. Still happier than ever. Portugal is a fantastic place.

 

[MTF]

I feel you. Have been working from home with 2 pairs of socks, 2 shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 jacket and 2 pairs of jeans on today. Still happier than ever. Portugal is a fantastic place.

Lol only people who have experienced winters in southern Europe can relate to that.

I can't believe you're still happier than ever. When I was so cold I was 100% in survival mode, unable to do anything productive.

 

[Chapas]

Lol only people who have experienced winters in southern Europe can relate to that.

I can't believe you're still happier than ever. When I was so cold I was 100% in survival mode, unable to do anything productive.

Haha, maybe I need to clarify. I am of course not happier than ever when I sit there with 10 pieces of clothing on freezing - but as soon as I walk outside and feel the sun, then I feel happier than ever. It's honestly warmer outside than inside.

I wish I could have brought my Swedish apartment with me to Portugal. That would have been the ideal scenario.

 

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[AppMan]

I live in a cold country and each year suffer for up to 6 months because of the low temperatures, lack of sunlight, short days, and people with permanent scowls on their faces. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be better to leave everything I have here and move elsewhere where I wouldn't live with anxiety, frustration, and stress for a half of a year.

To anyone who has moved from a cold, dark or wet climate to a warm, sunny and dry climate - has it made you noticeably happier and greatly improved your quality of life?

If you have family and close friends back in your cold state/country, do the benefits of living in a sunny and warm place still outweigh the cons of missing them and essentially having to build a new life from scratch?

If financially capable , I am planning to buy a summer house in some hot area , currently I live in Canada , and I think spending some months in pure sunny area is good , we as human were not meant to live in cold areas. one thig I noticed most hot cities and countries have some higher crime rate than cold areas, most likely because people more able to live in streets and unlivable areas.

 

[K1 Lambo]

If financially capable , I am planning to buy a summer house in some hot area , currently I live in Canada , and I think spending some months in pure sunny area is good , we as human were not meant to live in cold areas. one thig I noticed most hot cities and countries have some higher crime rate than cold areas, most likely because people more able to live in streets and unlivable areas.

Yeah man, it's always nice to have some change. I live in Norway myself and it's just like Canada in terms of weather. 6 months out of the year it's cold as hell but 3-4 months during the summer and it's the most beautiful country on earth.

It's no wonder all these homeless live in the stress of LA when they got sun 300+ days and 68 degrees fahrenheit all year round.

 

[biophase]

If financially capable , I am planning to buy a summer house in some hot area , currently I live in Canada , and I think spending some months in pure sunny area is good , we as human were not meant to live in cold areas. one thig I noticed most hot cities and countries have some higher crime rate than cold areas, most likely because people more able to live in streets and unlivable areas.

I assume you mean a winter house. You aren't buying a house in Phoenix to come for the summer right? LOL

My neighbor a few doors down is from Canada. They only stay here from November until April.

 

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[DonnyDinero]

I'm the opposite. From Sunny country to a Cold Country.

I tried living in cold highlands for 10 months. Absolutely loved it.
Try atleast living in a Sunny country you like for atleast 6 months.

Personally, I don't like the sweat and heat. You'd be a lot irritable.

Grass seems to be greener on the other side so experienced it yourself 1st before diving in

 

[MTF]

I'm the opposite. From Sunny country to a Cold Country.

I tried living in cold highlands for 10 months. Absolutely loved it.
Try atleast living in a Sunny country you like for atleast 6 months.

Personally, I don't like the sweat and heat. You'd be a lot irritable.

Grass seems to be greener on the other side so experienced it yourself 1st before diving in

I lived for 5 months in a tropical country and loved it. It was one of the best periods of my life despite it being the first few months of the pandemic. Sweat and heat doesn't bother me much, and doesn't bother me at all compared to being cold and miserable under a cloudy sky.

 

[Gina_28]

I live in cold place as well but we have a lot of sunny days during a year. So I handle quite good but still need some warmness. I lived in Caribbean Islands a couple of years ago. Short time, around half a year. But it was awesome. I like hot weather, but unfortunately my husband doesn`t, so we moved back. I really felt better there
As I see it people are different. It is easier for me to live in baking temperature than seeing snow every day of any winter. And I think you have to move to warmer place if you can`t handle frost.

 

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[MaxT]

For my part, I live near the sea, and as soon as the good weather returns I feel much happier and in great shape. And yet I take vitamin D drop hahaha

 

[AppMan]

I assume you mean a winter house. You aren't buying a house in Phoenix to come for the summer right? LOL

My neighbor a few doors down is from Canada. They only stay here from November until April.

I am eyeing on St. Diego , CA. I have visited before and the weather is just amazing all months, people are active and you can be outside almost any time expect when it is raining, at that moment I started planning to buy something there , however that was in 2013 when you could buy a house for 140K , now prices are crazy there too.
Downside, crime rate is little higher than Canada and job market is limited for tech people.

 

[Move the chains]

I live in a cold country and each year suffer for up to 6 months because of the low temperatures, lack of sunlight, short days, and people with permanent scowls on their faces. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be better to leave everything I have here and move elsewhere where I wouldn't live with anxiety, frustration, and stress for a half of a year.

To anyone who has moved from a cold, dark or wet climate to a warm, sunny and dry climate - has it made you noticeably happier and greatly improved your quality of life?

If you have family and close friends back in your cold state/country, do the benefits of living in a sunny and warm place still outweigh the cons of missing them and essentially having to build a new life from scratch?

Think this depends on the location of the warm climate and what you consider productive and happy.

I've lived in both warm (Florida/California) and cold climates (Minnesota/NY). Strangely, I've found I live a healthier lifestyle in colder climates. Maybe it's because there's less to do during the cold months so I go to the gym on a consistent basis. I also like to think there's some logic behind cold being more healthy for us (think Wim Hof).

I recently lived in SoCal (inland not coastal) and the heat from June-Sept can be a challenge (same with the heat and humidity in Florida). Most people try to stay indoors in the AC or brave the hoards by going to the beach or the mountains for more bearable temperatures. That said, if I could afford to be somewhere like coastal San Diego, Malibu, or other locations that's aren't considered desert climate, they stay a bit cooler and have an ocean breeze which helps.

There's pros and cons to hot and cold climates. It's worth trying out a warmer climate for a bit to see if it helps. Another option is to plan vacations during the colder months to take a break from the weather.

 

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[Move the chains]

I am eyeing on St. Diego , CA. I have visited before and the weather is just amazing all months, people are active and you can be outside almost any time expect when it is raining, at that moment I started planning to buy something there , however that was in 2013 when you could buy a house for 140K , now prices are crazy there too.
Downside, crime rate is little higher than Canada and job market is limited for tech people.

Crime rate in SoCal has become a major problem. If you can find a gated community with security, it's not so bad. For the rest of us, there's a whole bunch of issues to deal with on a daily basis from lots of homeless people with serious drug and/or mental health issues, porch pirates, catalytic converters being stolen.

That said, I'm sure some part of San Diego ship their homeless to other inland cities (like Irvine does).

San Diego does have a lot going for it with the outdoors. You can go outside when it rains...that's just a California thing...no one knows what to do when it rains because it rarely happens.

I'm with you...hoping the housing prices get better eventually.

 

[David Fitz]

What kills me every year in Ireland is that you get through winter and then March comes and the sun starts to creep out and you're thinking yes here we go, here's the good weather. Then 2 weeks later we somehow go back into winter and it's freezing again.

It really brings my mood down and I feel like doing nothing until it gets warm again.

Definitely not sure Ireland is where I'll live my whole life and nowhere in Europe really appeals to me.

 

[starttoday123]

Then 2 weeks later we somehow go back into winter and it's freezing again.

Ugh it’s the same in Seattle - I put my jackets away two weeks ago and decided to refuse to wear a winter jacket again until next winter..until I froze for a few days in a row and I’m back to wearing my thickest winter jackets and a scarf every day lol

My problem is I’ve lived in warm cities with great weather too already so I know that my productivity isn’t much better there either but my quality of life is definitely better in a city with warmer weather

 

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[MTF]

I like hot weather, but unfortunately my husband doesn`t, so we moved back. I really felt better there

That's sad. Are there any places "in-between" where you both would feel okay? Not the coldest and not the hottest place.

For my part, I live near the sea, and as soon as the good weather returns I feel much happier and in great shape. And yet I take vitamin D drop hahaha

Vitamin D is necessary but it doesn't provide a replacement to all the benefits of the sun. It's funny when some people (not you) believe that taking vitamin D alone means they don't need to be out.

I've lived in both warm (Florida/California) and cold climates (Minnesota/NY). Strangely, I've found I live a healthier lifestyle in colder climates. Maybe it's because there's less to do during the cold months so I go to the gym on a consistent basis. I also like to think there's some logic behind cold being more healthy for us (think Wim Hof).

That's indeed strange that you have a healthier lifestyle in a cold climate. Because during the winter I can't do most of the activities I like the most, I find it hard to move as much as I do in the summer (when I bike, run, walk, or swim every day).

IMO since humans come from the tropics, that's the healthiest climate for us

What kills me every year in Ireland is that you get through winter and then March comes and the sun starts to creep out and you're thinking yes here we go, here's the good weather. Then 2 weeks later we somehow go back into winter and it's freezing again.

It really brings my mood down and I feel like doing nothing until it gets warm again.

Definitely not sure Ireland is where I'll live my whole life and nowhere in Europe really appeals to me.

Lol I can relate to that. Thankfully we're getting close to "real" spring and soon summer.

Any ideas outside of Europe?

I explored pretty much every single warm place that interested me in Europe and nothing appeals to me, either. I'd like to live in that other place between September-April and even in the Canary Islands (the warmest place that belongs to Europe) the winters aren't really that super warm.

 

[David Fitz]

Any ideas outside of Europe?

I explored pretty much every single warm place that interested me in Europe and nothing appeals to me, either. I'd like to live in that other place between September-April and even in the Canary Islands (the warmest place that belongs to Europe) the winters aren't really that super warm.

The US always appeals to me. Places like Florida or Texas. I had a business coach last year who lived in Florida and he loved it there and it also looks like it's governed well at the moment.

If I was ever single again, I wouldn't mind Asia. Thailand and Vietnam are good places and cheap to live in but not sure it would ever be long term.

I lived in Australia for a few years. It's a good country and it's hot most of the year on the west coast. Summer days reach 40+ degrees regularly.

 

[MTF]

The US always appeals to me. Places like Florida or Texas. I had a business coach last year who lived in Florida and he loved it there and it also looks like it's governed well at the moment.

Florida could be cool though I'm too afraid of the IRS to ever consider living in the US haha.

If I was ever single again, I wouldn't mind Asia. Thailand and Vietnam are good places and cheap to live in but not sure it would ever be long term.

Yeah long-term it could get tiring as you'd always be treated like a tourist and never considered a local.

I lived in Australia for a few years. It's a good country and it's hot most of the year on the west coast. Summer days reach 40+ degrees regularly.

I've been to Australia twice (Sunshine Coast/Noosa) and absolutely loved it and instantly felt like at home there.

 

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[Nomads]

This thread is awesome - such a range of takes on how important a sunny climate is vs. how important it is to just take responsibility for your situation and make yourself happy.

I fall somewhere in the middle - having lived in Hawaii for 6 months to avoid the winter in Canada, I definitely saw a huge improvement in productivity, physical health, and mental health. Getting outside and being physically active every day (without freezing) is an absolute necessity for me and makes me feel a million times better.

No matter what I've done to improve my situation during Canadian winters since then, I have never felt the same. Meditation, supplements, working out outside (running in deep snow, hiking, etc), getting out and seeing friends more, etc.. nothing compares.

Currently in the process of shifting my business life to allow me to detach myself from Canada and move somewhere warm & sunny all year round by Fall 2022/Ealy Winter 2022.

Yes 100%.

I lived in Canada in the Toronto area for 20 years, horrendous place and although people everywhere have their issues, for a "developed" country, Canadians are completely overrated fakes.

Anyways, as far as the weather goes, I went from Canada to Bulgaria where we had ONE "Canadian type day" in terms of weather this winter, it was January 11th or 14th, it got down to -11 with crazy wind chill and I was like "ahhh memories" apart from that it was mostly 0 to -5 range as opposed to the Canadian, get up to 5, drop down to -20, get up to -2 and then chill at -15 with windchill.

In the future I will likely skip winters here too, but honestly as a whole I was very VERY happy with how mild it was relative to Canada, just a jacket and sweater and you're 100% fine, in Canada you need 2 shirts, a sweater, an extremely heavy jacket, a hat, sunglasses etc just to BEGIN to survive during winter, awful awful place.

Funny to hear another Canadian from Toronto experiencing the same. I love my friends, I love my social life, and I love the city but Canadians are not all people make us out to be. The drastic change in seasons really seems to take a toll on people. People sit around and complain all year about the cold, and then they complain all summer about the heat. I've fallen victim to the same self-destructive loop as well, and it is no good.

 

[JasperDeMuynck]

Recently moved to Tbilisi and I am definitely more happy here (coming from the Netherlands where it rains and is cloudy a lot). It's sunny most days of the week here . So can attest to that!

I live in Norway myself and it's just like Canada in terms of weather. 6 months out of the year it's cold as hell but 3-4 months during the summer and it's the most beautiful country on earth.

+1. Need to revisit the Fjords

 

[srodrigo]

Any ideas outside of Europe?

I explored pretty much every single warm place that interested me in Europe and nothing appeals to me, either. I'd like to live in that other place between September-April and even in the Canary Islands (the warmest place that belongs to Europe) the winters aren't really that super warm.

Apart from Australia/New Zealand, South Africa (mainly Cape Town) looks interesting. Otherwise, somewhere in South America where it's summer during those months (although I would personally stay away from South America).

 

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[MTF]

Apart from Australia/New Zealand, South Africa (mainly Cape Town) looks interesting. Otherwise, somewhere in South America where it's summer during those months (although I would personally stay away from South America).

South Africa is a basket case. Crazy crime, crumbling infrastructure, water shortages. No, thanks.

 

[srodrigo]

South Africa is a basket case. Crazy crime, crumbling infrastructure, water shortages. No, thanks.

That's why I mentioned Cape Town, which is first world inside a third world country, and more European. The crime depends on the area (mostly in townships, but some tourists tend to be dumb enough to get in trouble). I know natives who didn't have any issues (it's not like in Brazil, where all Brazilians I know have been kidnapped more than once). But yeah, overall I agree, the rest of the country isn't great. The south coast looks cool for short trips though (I'm going for one in a month, let's see).