There is a saying that you don't know how bad something is, until you finally get away from it, and have something better to compare it to. I think the 2 best examples of this are climate and women... Not necessarily in that order.
When I lived in Chicago, I simply tolerated the non stop lousy weather. I had no choice back then. You were constantly B.S.'ing yourself into thinking, "This isn't so bad". Then I finally decided to quit lying to myself, and mustered up the courage to get out of that God forsaken stink hole.
It was the smartest thing I ever did in my life! No more road salt, slop, freezing weather, all but constant rain and or snow, bad roads, nowhere to go, watching your beautiful new car self destruct before your very eyes. As you conduct an all but endless battle against rust, and trying to keep it clean...... Until you just give up. No more 90 day Summers, (June, July, & August). With it either raining, or else threatening to over half of the time. All while getting eaten alive by Mosquito's, 5 minutes after the Sun sets.
And that is coupled with what amounts to 9 month long Winters. Spring and Fall are horrible in the Midwest. Constant rain and dampness. Overcast coupled with bone chilling humidity, and all but non stop blowing wind. (It's not called, "The Windy City" for nothing). It's a title that is well earned, and very well deserved.
Now I have to deal with 320+ days a year of Sunshine. All but 2" of rain a year, if we're lucky. Cool, beautiful weather from October until the end of April. Yes, the Summers are hot. No question about it. But after dealing with 38 years of sub zero Winters there, and 29 years of desert Summers here, I'll take heat over the sloppy, freezing, overcast, Midwestern Winters 7 days a week, and twice on Sunday. I will NEVER set foot in Illinois again.