The other day, I came across this article about a research paper that found a correlation between brown eyes and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). I found this interesting because when my family moved to Portland, I had wondered whether we might be subject to SAD. After all, SAD is “prevalent” in Portland, according to an OHSU doctor.
As it turned out, we had no trouble adapting to the Pacific Northwest. We all like how late it stays light in the summer, and I weirdly like how it gets dark early in the winter.
What else is weird is that I not only don’t suffer from SAD, but I possibly suffer from what you might call reverse SAD. Now, I’ll admit that when the sun comes out in the winter after a stretch of 30+ days in a row without sunshine, I do get the overwhelming urge to go run outside. But at the same time, when we have those blisteringly hot summers, I get sick of the sun. It doesn’t take 30+ days in a row, either. Maybe as little as a week of straight sunny days gets me longing for the stereotypical Pacific Northwest day: cloudy, cool, temperature in the 50s (or maybe low 60s), with misty drizzle always welcomed!
Who else feels the way I do about summers and wanting to see overcast skies? (Obviously, a skewed poll, since people who suffer from SAD are more likely to move away from the Pacific Northwest….)
