Did I mention how often I was cold out in Kansas City? Very strange turn of events. When I arrived on Tuesday, it was 80 degrees outside. I felt right at home in my cropped length jeans with a lace-trimmed camisole under a pretty, floral cardigan sweater and flip flops. That ensemble had been great for traveling on the planes too.
Basically, I’d packed what I wear here in the Keys, with the exception of that southern belle gown, of course. So, I arrived in Missouri without a jacket. All of my pants were cropped-length or capris. I had one pair of close-toed shoes — my sneakers. Wednesday the temp had dropped a bit and the skies were gloomy with intermittent rain. I took a walk outside, across the street to a small shopping center, and realized that the weather wasn’t quite Florida Keys-fabulous. I wasn’t too concerned until a few hours later when I heard someone say that the highs on Thursday were expected to be in the 30s. The 30s??? Holy heck! Around that time I became very glad that I didn’t have anything that I absolutely had to do outside of the hotel.
Good thing, too, because by lunchtime, the rain turned to snow. Snow, as in real flakes drifting through the air and sticking on the ground. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Yes, I was definitely staying indoors.
Not that this was the best option all of the time. I noticed that, depending on where I was, I was frequently cold. I had to turn up the temperature in our room and often wished I could find the thermostat to do the same in some of the workshop rooms. By far, the worst area for me was the ballroom during rehearsals. I was practically shivering but none of my friends felt the same way. Finally, after listening to me mutter under my breath about the chill and watching me stand on the stage, with my arms wrapped around myself, a guy friend said, “It’s hell getting thinner, isn’t it?” He then walked off of the stage and grabbed an unused tablecloth, brought it back and draped it around my body like a blanket.
I was still gobsmacked about his comment. It never once dawned on me that my thinner body was more susceptible to cooler temps. I never really thought of my extra fat as insulation, but it must have served that purpose. Now I’m going to have to keep this new development in mind and plan for it. I have a conference coming up next month. Sometimes conference hotels are, indeed, cooler than usual and I don’t want to be distracted from the workshops and roundtables by shivering like I’m in the arctic circle. Carrying around a light sweater or wrap should take care of the problem, don’t you think?
Given that I live in Florida and we’re heading toward the summer, I’m wondering now if this temperature sensitivity will work to my advantage. Will the thinner me be more comfortable as the days heat up? We’ll see, won’t we?
Weighty Matters 
I always joked that I was built like an Eskimo, and it was kind of silly to live in the south, rather in the frozen north, for which I was obviously designed.
Now I joke that my Eskimos have wandered off to Alaska leaving me behind, they left me the gift of cold. Rolls eyes.
Seriously, my internal thermostat lost its mind when I hit the 280s or so, and it’s stayed lost ever since.
Your first summer is usually the best. it’s not so much that you don’t notice the heat & humidity; it’s just that your tolerance for it is so much better, because you don’t have all the extra insulation. That being said, I no longer dread the summer misery. I actually look forward to it. I’ve always loved fall & winter, sweater weather, because when I was big I was so much more comfortable. I still like the cold weather, but now I’m really ready for the seasonal change to summer heat, because I’m so easily chilled.
My office stays cold … part of that is me, part of that is the property management company. I have learned to dress in layers, to keep a jacket or cardigan at work (one that looks professional & is neutral enough to go with whatever I choose to wear to work), and I bought a small heater that runs pretty much year round.
In the summer, even in Florida & the Keys, learn to think in layers. Light weight, attractive layers that you can pull on or slip off. And get in the habit of carrying a jacket or cardigan with you when you go to commercial establishments (restaurants, movie theaters, retail stores, etc.). Over the summer, they crank the AC into frigid zones. Since all my insulation went away, I would swear that movies & restaurants are colder in the summer than they are in the winter. If a restaurant has a patio, ask to sit outside in the summer. Except on truly miserably hot days, you will probably find outside is more comfortable than inside.
If you decide you like sleeveless dresses (I really want to find a couple of maxi dresses this year), you might also invest in some pretty shrugs. My upper arms ALWAYS carry a chill; even an elbow length shrug helps. Scarves & pashminas can be your friends as well.
I also learned to ask, “Is it cold or is it just me?” I learned to answer (when people asked me that question), “I have no idea; I’m cold all the time.”
When you go to conferences, when you know you’ll be spending time in meeting rooms, DEFINITELY add a blue jean jacket, a wool blazer, a soft cozy cardigan, or a thermal undershirt/long sleeve T to layer beneath what you plan to wear. That way, you can remove layers if it gets warm, but you won’t freeze to death when the AC kicks in & everybody turns bluer than beef.
Great tips. Thanks, Pink!
Yeah, you’re probably going to need more layers when you’re in air conditioned hotels. But I bet you’ll be a lot more comfortable outside this summer!
Definitely carry a sweater or wrap! AC in hotel conference spaces can be arctic! Yup, you have dropped a lot of insulation and I hope that you notice being more comfortable in the heat.