Summer or Winter?

Having warm sunny days year-round can create confusion for some people. Yesterday, I had to walk to town to pick up a roti for dinner. The roti shop is closing for 2 weeks for vacation and called my office to let us know, since someone here gets lunch there once a week. While wandering through the vendors' plaza on the way to Ideal Restaurant, I overheard a tourist ask a vendor "Is it summer or winter here?" The reply? "It's summer!" Umm, no. The USVI is in the northern hemisphere. We're 18 degrees north of the equator, and a little south of the Tropic of Cancer. We experience summer in July, winter in December, just like everyone else in the United States. Even though it's 85 out, we don't technically enjoy "summer" all year.

Even though I was surprised to hear a local give the wrong answer, I probably shouldn't have been. On any given day, it can be really difficult for me to know what time of year it is too. Last January, for example, a friend in law school emailed saying vacation was over and it's time to get back to school - I immediately thought "wow, summer's over already!" It's a little disorienting to wear the same clothes year-round, maybe switching between sleeveless to short sleeves in December or January... maybe getting a dusty pair of socks out to warm my toes at night. We certainly don't have any real seasons. Living here makes it seem like Phoenix has seasons. We get "Christmas winds" which cool us off a bit in December and January. It always feels like summer here, at least physically. Mentally, sometimes I wish I was on a long summer vacation! I get both Christmas and Boxing Day off from work (both are local holidays too). But sadly, when the rest of the world is on vacation - tour guides have to go to work. Dave has been busy at work this week now that the season has officially started as of December 15. December 15 brings higher prices on airline tickets and hotel rooms around here for four months.