Staff Writer- Mary Athorp
So, it’s cold. Really cold. Like so cold your eyes start watering, and then the tears freeze on your face.
It’s hard to find things to be joyful about when the weather seems to have a frozen heart. It probably goes without saying (even though I’m going to say it anyway) that the fact that we’re only three weeks into the semester isn’t helping much at all.
But I would consider myself a relentless optimist, and I’ve found that to be my greatest strength during these cold winter months, and maybe I can share a bit of that optimism with you.
Though the cold is brutal, there is always a silver lining– the trick is to focus on that lining until you don’t realize you’ve already made it through. Getting to that silver lining is the hardest part, so I’ll give you the building blocks, and the rest is smooth sailing. Without further ado, I present…
5 things that make the bitter cold BETTER
- Layering
Layering is not only practical at times like these, but fashionable! Prove me wrong, but an outfit with layering is exponentially more interesting to look at. The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you combine items–not to mention, you get to be creative with ALL of the clothes in your wardrobe, especially the items that you struggle to find occasions to use them for. You’ll never have to repeat an outfit–OR, you’ll find an outfit that you LOVE amidst your layering experimentation, and you can wear it as many times as you’d like! You can’t layer in any other weather like you can when it’s bitterly cold. This is the only time where fashion and survival truly coexist. Why not take full advantage of it?
- Hot drinks
Would you rather drink a hot chocolate in the middle of summer on the beach, or in the middle of January curled up in your bed with blankets draped around your shoulders while you watch the snow falling outside? Now, don’t be an opponent to my optimism and humor me here. You chose the second one… right? That’s what I thought. Realistically speaking, though, a hot chocolate or coffee doesn’t warm your whole body the moment it hits your stomach with the same sweet gratitude that it would if you were drinking it in late July. Savor that feeling the next time you grab a hot tea or something similar from the Courtyard, because come summer, that feeling won’t be the same.
- Naps
Let’s be real for a second. You take a nap in the summertime, and you wake up absolutely drenched in sweat. Then, you try to go about the rest of your day, but you feel like you’re in a haze because it’s hot and you’re still sleepy. Not the vibe, right? But now, you take a nap, curling up in your comfy bed, your blankets like a cocoon against the cold, harsh world. You fall asleep and take a much-needed rest from your studies. When you wake up, you carry the warm feeling of your nap throughout the rest of your day, and the cold doesn’t feel as terrible. If that doesn’t convince you that naps are better when it’s cold outside, I don’t know what will. The point is, take naps, people. And enjoy them! Because this is the best they’re going to get.
- Movie nights
I can totally see the argument that movie nights in the summertime are top-tier. But, hear me out. You’ve just had a long, cold week. You want to do something fun this weekend, but your energy levels are waning, and you don’t know if you can bear the whistling winds outside. So, you pop a whole bunch of buttery popcorn, pour yourself some yummy hot chocolate (see hot drinks above), and turn on your favorite flick. The coziness levels are through the roof. You’re smiling, laughing, even from your movie. You fall asleep on the couch in a state of pure joy and comfort. Do you see where I’m coming from now? These comfy sensations don’t exist in the same way during the summertime. We must relish them now, while it’s cold out, so we don’t miss out on some of the greatest comforts of life.
- Loving your neighbors
Alright, I’ll level with you here. This one is good all year round. But when things are cold, frozen, bitter, and icy, as cheesy as it sounds, love melts it all. And it’s particularly hard to love others when your own heart is bitter, but it makes it all the more worth it when you do. These days, loving your neighbors, all your neighbors, is one of the most powerful things you can do–it’s even more rare and precious and better than it was before.