Good morning! I hope the world is being good to you and you’re being good to it.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and share a thought with me!

I like stepping outside in the morning and taking a deep breath of fresh, crisp air. I enjoy that less so in oppressive humidity and heat. I really enjoy that less when that swampiness follows me inside. The seasons are on the cusp of changing from summer to fall, which means there will be more crispness and less moistness in the air. This also allows the windows to be opened and not rely on air conditioning to keep things comfortable. The transition got me wondering, however, are you an A/C or a fresh air person?

I am firmly in the controlled climate camp. When it comes to the summer months, I need to have a place I can go to be cool and comfortable. The warmth is nice, but if there is no breeze moving through the house, I don’t want to go from hot to hotter. Frankly, air conditioning is a modern marvel that makes living in a diverse climate doable.

Winter months are less controversial, because I can handle the cold better than the heat. A furnace or fireplace is a must, but letting the cold air play across your face on a wintry day can be invigorating. You will not, however, find me digging and sleeping in a snow shelter by choice. There may have been a time as a kid that I would lay in a snow tunnel in the backyard and admire the silence of winter, but these old man bones get cold now.

Now, just because I am a fan of, well, fans and air conditioning does not mean I’m against having the windows open and allowing the fresh air to infiltrate every room. Nothing rejuvenates a space like opening it up, and no matter how good the air conditioning is, after a while it can get stale. It’s almost like homes and rooms need to breathe. When the draft is flowing and air is moving, having the windows open is fantastic. The sounds of leaves rustling, birds chirping, and kids laughing play on the breeze and create a connection with the world that you don’t get when the windows are closed. The problem, however, is the inconsistency. When the flow becomes stale, interiors can become worse than if the windows had stayed closed altogether. It becomes a foolhardy exercise to let the fresh air in when the inside temperature surpasses what’s outside.

Where do you fall in the fresh air versus air conditioning question? The calendar timing may influence your answer, and that’s fair. There are positive and negatives for each. For me, I always lament turning off the A/C for the last time of the year. The background noise of its hum paints thoughts of lazy summer days and relaxing family nights. On the other hand, listening to the world through an open window while writing this is its own special experience. And on the other other hand, I’ll acknowledge that maybe you only experience one setup. If that is the case, kudos for adapting to your environment. I suppose it doesn’t really matter which camp you land in if you’re happy where you are.