At the end of my graduate studies, when I was deciding whether Western NY was the right location for me to stay long-term, I had serious doubts about the weather and its potential impact on my happiness. There were many good reasons for me to stay in Buffalo. However, at the time, I associated happiness with long summer days, proximity to the ocean, and being able to wear flip-flops and a light jacket in March - things I was able to do when growing up in the mid-Atlantic regi