As I have now spent a year in Myrtle Beach, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of the city. I really like it here and have enjoyed exploring it over the past 12 months. Although the positives far outweigh the negatives, for the purpose of this blog post I am going to keep it even. On this beautiful Sunday I wish to provide you with my top three pros and top three cons of living in Myrtle Beach.

PROS:

Weather – Some people like it hot. Well, count me in as one of them. When I moved here, everyone told me that the southern humidity would cripple me. It never did. While it was a little bit of an adjustment to get used to the different type of air, I never felt as if I was drowning. The high temperatures and abundant sunshine that accompanies the humidity is right down my alley. I am the type of guy that doesn’t mind 100 degree temperatures three months out of the year.

However, it took Halloween for me to really realize how much I love the climate of Myrtle Beach. I was running a social media promotion outside on campus at CCU for the entire day. Throughout the whole morning and afternoon the sun elegantly shined down on us. The 80 degree day contrasted with the cold, windy, gloomy, snowy days of past Halloweens out west.

The weather in Myrtle Beach provides opportunities to enjoy summer activities throughout most of the year instead of just during July and August.

The Beach – They don’t put the second word in the city that I live in for nothing. I have grown to really love the ocean and marvel at its magnificence. I can drive five minutes from my apartment and be on a beautiful, non-tourist beach. I have started many weekend mornings this way and the peace I get from it is very nourishing. Since arriving here, I have explored other beaches in the area too and always find comfort knowing that I enjoy living in an area where others go to vacation.

The beach is beautiful and calming. It is definitely one of my favorite aspects of living here.

Geographic Location – The city that I live in is also great because it provides me lots of options when I want to get away from it for a day or two. Because of the location of Myrtle Beach, I am able to travel to a whole host of really cool places. Both North and South Carolina have many historical and charming cities that I can get to in no time. Two of Georgia’s best cities, Atlanta and Savannah, are located relatively close to Myrtle Beach. You go a little more south and you are in Florida! Up north the options are numerous as cities like Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia are just a day’s drive away. Location location location!

Not long after arriving in Myrtle Beach, Sidney and I traveled to Atlanta to watch some baseball and to explore the city.

CONS

Traffic – During tourist season, traffic can become a little frustrating. A notorious highway in Myrtle Beach that is necessary to travel on to get to many places becomes a standstill. Vacationers not familiar with the area make boneheaded mistakes that back up traffic. Rush hour becomes a nightmare. Since I go to work very early in the morning and because I use an alternative route going home at night, I do a pretty good job at avoiding the worst of it. However, I still spend my fair share of time in traffic every now and then. I may or may not yell at my imaginary passenger when I really need to be somewhere and instead I am stopped behind a line of 500 cars.

Hellish Roadways – If the traffic on the roads wasn’t enough, the debris that somehow land on them really makes commuting in Myrtle Beach a challenge from time to time. I don’t know what it is, but I have never driven in a city that has more crap on the roads than in MB. Any given day I dodge road kill, garbage, lumber, plants, nails, and remnants from other vehicles. It really is an obstacle course out there. One dark morning I ran over a gigantic log, popping my tire instantaneously. I am scared to enter into turning lanes because these places usually have the most random junk ready to derail your vehicle. If you could see the hodgepodge of items that end up in the roads here you would be very surprised.

Allergies – I had no idea I was susceptible to allergies until I moved to South Carolina. As I mentioned in Thursday’s blog post, I spent most of April putting up with a nasty cough, constant watery eyes, and a bothersome runny nose. The pollen here really does impact your system. When I first moved here I quietly dismissed the people who told me it might take some getting used to but now as I look back on it they were right.

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As I said, even though I described three positives and three negatives, the good definitely outweighs the bad. I didn’t even mention the people, the restaurants, the shopping options, the mini golf, the BBQ, and the numerous other characteristics that make Myrtle Beach such a great place to live. In a year from now, I am sure I will have even more positives to add to the list. Don’t Blink.