If there’s one thing I learned about Americans in my 5 years of living in the United States, it’s that they talk about the weather a LOT.

Here’s the thing. Growing up, I watched a lot of American television and in many of the movies and tv shows I watched, the weather was often the go-to conversation starter. It was an unspoken norm that the weather was the perfect topic for small talk. I thought this was just an overused joke to make a character seem quirky or awkward. I was wrong.

It’s safe to say that I’ve now learned that this is not a topic reserved only for fictional characters, and that Americans really do talk about the weather every chance they get.
I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which, if you look on a map, sits right above the equator. Before coming to the states, I had never experienced snow or temperature below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It was often sunny and warm in Ethiopia and when it wasn’t, it was rainy and cold. That was it, and I liked it that way.

I knew coming to the US, things were going to be different. I was moving to the northeast so I made sure to be as prepared as I could be. I had my giant coats that were so big I practically swam in them, I had my beanies and gloves, and I even bought those things you wear underneath your clothes – Thermals!

When winter arrived, I complained a lot, as anyone who doesn’t like the cold would. However, my conversations about the cold were with my other Ethiopian friends and they were usually brief. 

I noticed going into school that so many people around me were also talking about the weather. I noticed in classes that my peers would report how they felt about the weather when asked how they were doing. I especially noticed that when I talked to my American friends they would mention the weather and say that they didn’t expect it to be so cold when they chose what to wear for the day (why not just use the weather app?) .

When spring rolled around, there was even more talk of the weather. Each day that the weather was warm, people pointed it out. I didn’t have any problem with it. I actually found myself doing the same thing. 

Of course when summer came around, there were both complaints and delight about the heat. 

This pattern continued throughout my years in the US and even though I didn’t have a problem with it, I found it funny that this was a serious topic of conversation for a lot of people. I found it even funnier that everytime the weather fluctuated, many people would be surprised, despite the fact that this happens every year. I also found it interesting how frequently I’d hear the weather be brought up in conversations throughout the day. 

I look back at how weirded out I used to be about how often Americans talked about the weather, and I laugh at myself because I have now turned into them. I am obsessed with the weather now and I always have something to say about it. My weather app is actually one of the most-used apps on my phone. Whether it’s complaining or rejoicing, I often have an opinion on the weather and I’ve become the person who brings it up in a conversation.