I moved from the southern part of the country to Orland Park, Illinois for a job opportunity.
Taking the position meant higher pay, better benefits and greater opportunity for upward mobility.
I couldn’t turn it down. At the time, I wasn’t thrilled about relocating to Orland Park. Located 25 miles southwest of Chicago, the weather is extreme for most of the year. The summers are excessively hot and humid while the winters are cold and snowy. The conditions are constantly cold, windy and wet. However, the suburb is quite affluent and offers a wide selection of upscale restaurants and amazing shopping. I was delighted by the newly remodeled Orland Square Park and the amount of open space devoted to nature preserves, public parks and golf courses. Orland Park includes more than 60 parks, including Centennial Park, Orland Park Nature Center and Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Park. Enjoying the outdoor activities is somewhat difficult due to the weather. Between the heat, humidity, rain, snow and wind, it’s necessary to be prepared for anything. It’s taken me a while to get accustomed to the unpredictable temperatures. We frequently get temperatures in the negative digits. In my former home, I ran the central air conditioner almost year round. I didn’t bother with any kind of heating system. The outdoor temperature rarely dropped below sixty degrees. Living in Orland Park, the furnace is absolutely essential for about eight straight months. While the summers are short, I’m very thankful to have air conditioning. There is seldom the opportunity to open the windows and bring in fresh air.