This photograph is for to all my friends who live in areas where winter is defined by freezing temperatures, bleak skies and the sound of snow blowers.
This is the beach at Tulum which is located in the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. White, limestone sands and crystal blue waters all dramatically situated by ancient Mayan ruins.
Paradise found!
I was born and raised in San Diego, California where the sun shines year around. When the weather dips below 60 degrees we call that freezing temperatures in Southern California.
A couple of years ago, for some odd reason that I can’t explain even today, I decided to take a job promotion in Appleton, Wisconsin. So I traded in the sand for the snow and left the sunny shores of California for the Midwest.
Big mistake.
One winter day in December a blizzard greeting us by dumping an enormous amount of snow. Later that evening, after work, I was out in my driveway shoveling snow. I didn’t have a snow blower for two reasons: (1) I thought I wouldn’t be in Wisconsin very long (I ended up being there for two years). (2) I thought shoveling snow would be great exercise. My neighbor next door saw I was getting nowhere fast so he came over with his snow blower to help me out.
Mind you this was in the evening where the temperature dropped down to about twenty degrees. This California boy was bundled up in my thickest down jacket with five layers of REI’s best synthetic clothing. My neighbor kept warm with just camouflage sweat pants and a Green Bay Packer hoodie.
“Are you warm in that?” I asked.
“Oh this is nothing. December is when we get all the snow, but in January is when the temperature really drops, sometimes below zero,” he replied, “you know, you should really buy a snow blower.”
I never did buy that snow blower.
I ended up buying a round trip ticket to the Philippines where I enjoyed nearly three weeks of sunshine in January.
I never did see a snow blower in the Philippines nor in Tulum, Mexico and I don’t ever intend to see one ever again.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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