Having lived most of my life in Southern California, I grew up very spoiled when it came to weather. Being located next to the Pacific Ocean, at an ideal latitude, my hometown has the climate few places in the world enjoy; that of the Mediterranean / Chaparral. Sunshine and dry air 80% of the year, with temperatures hovering around 80F/26C. When it rains, it's an event. Not because some massive apocalyptic downpour takes place, the rain is your typical shower you would see anywhere else in the world. It's just that people have no idea what to do when they see water falling down from the sky. If it lightly sprinkles for 10 minutes, the poorly designed roads are flooded and people are panicking, looking for cover.
So when I began my travels around the world, I was very intrigued to experience something different from the weather I became accustomed to. I didn't care necessarily what that meant; frigid cold, hot desert, tundra, rainforest. I just felt I needed to get outside of the comfort zone I had been bubble wrapped in all my life and taste what is otherwise a very normal part of any human experience. I found that first real experience of another climate when living for half a year next to the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland.
Fig tree in Far North Queensland
Don't Rush to a Judgment
If you are traveling to a new climate, make sure you're staying long enough to fully understand what living in such a climate would really be like. A week or two is really not going to be enough to understand how things operate in a completely different climate, but it'll give you a taste. However, just like trying out a new food, if you only have a short exposure to it, you might prematurely conclude that it's not for you, only to give up on what may have become your favorite dish. Having a longer period of time can really help to understand the pros and cons of any particular climate. Visiting the cold regions of Germany during winter may make you never want to live there, but that's a conclusion without experiencing the incredible feeling of transitioning into spring, those long summer nights or long walks through autumn forests.
Dealing with the Challenges
I would say the 3 hardest parts of adapting to a new climate are the temperatures, the humidity, and the bugs. As close to paradise as my new environment in Far North Queensland was, I certainly ran into moments of absolute agony before fully adjusting. Moments when the humidity was so high, you could practically start doing the breaststroke if you wanted to get around. Mosquitos were not an issue most of the time, but then there would be these nights where all of a sudden there was no escape. You'd look down at your jeans and see a hundred little mosquitos searching for somewhere to stick their needle into. Yeah, not fun. But you learn to cope. You learn to take it all and not be phased. When it downpours you accept that you're going to get wet and there's nothing you can do about it. When it's humid you accept that you are going to be sweaty. With acceptance comes peace. It also helps to know you aren't going through something that people around you wouldn't understand.
Monitor lizard up in the treetops
Animals
When you live in a different climate, one of the first things that you'll notice is the difference in wildlife. This was particularly noticeable when living in the rainforest. The biodiversity was unlike anything I had seen before. It wasn't like you would see animals everywhere, all the time, but when you did it was almost always something new. Even after 6 months, it was almost a daily occurrence to see some insect, bird, or mammal that I had never seen before. The experiences were endless; spiders the size of your hand hanging in webs, rhinoceros beetles, lizards that were 2 meters long, colorful ostrich-like birds, leaves and sticks that turned out to be alive.
These carnivorous plants found in Malaysia usually feast on insects, but have been known to eat frogs or even birds.
Plant Life / Flora
This is one area that a lot of people don't really pay attention to. Unless they come across a plant that is over 1,000 years old, eats little birds, or looks like something from Star Wars, most people could really care less about all the green around them. A lot of it is because most people don't have much scientific knowledge in that area. Yet, by walking into the world of plants, there is a whole world to discover and learn about practically everywhere you go in the world. By gaining some basic knowledge to group different type of plants, as well as learning fun or interesting facts about the plants of your particular travel destination, your hikes outdoors will be a lot more fulfilling, especially when you aren't able to spot that elusive Tasmanian devil or cassowary you've been trying to track down.
Expect the Unexpected
A few months into the rainy season while working in Far North Queensland, we got word that a massive cyclone was heading towards shore. The resort that I was working at had to completely shut down, even asking paying guests to leave. Together with a few other coworkers living on site, we had the entire hundred acre property to ourselves. It was really a fun and memorable time for all of us to bond, but as exciting as it all was, I'll admit a part of me was nervous, not really knowing what to expect. The night the cyclone hit shore, we were all bunkered down listening to the howling wind and rain beating down. Luckily the cyclone had lost some steam prior to landfall, and the resort didn't suffer any structural damage. Just a few trees that fell over and a massive cleanup job the next day clearing all the fallen leaves and branches.
If you have the opportunity, it's a great idea to try out climates unfamiliar to you. Maybe you'll find a new favorite. Or perhaps it'll make you realize just how nice you've got back at home. Either way, it'll be a great experience.
