Adjusting to East Coast Weather as a Californian
One of the most common questions I get asked on tour is how adjusting to Massachusetts winters have been, as I’m a tried and true Californian. So, I’m here to tell you how I survived my first east coast winter.
My first mistake was telling my well-experienced mom, who has spent winters in both Boston and Michigan, that I “didn’t need my winter coat until second semester.” I remember sending her a voice message from the academic quad when it first hit 35 degrees. The wind was particularly strong that day, and my lips, nose, and ears had all gone numb. My voice message consisted of a confession that I was wrong about not needing my coat, an audible shiver in my voice, and finally, begging my mom to get my winter coat here as soon as she could. Luckily, parents' weekend was coming up, so she was able to bring it then!
That experience helped me understand how to navigate an east coast winter, so here’s some advice to survive the snow for the first time:
-Gear up: Make sure to get a good winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, and boots. That’s all you really need! As long as you have all of the correct gear, you will be just fine when you’re outside. In my experience, Doc Martens even work great as winter boots (just make sure you get good socks!).
-Get outside: Seasonal depression can hit extra hard when you’re transitioning to a place that snows during the winter. The sun will rarely come out, and days can feel a little extra dull. To combat this, try to go outside and engage in activities that make you happy! I tried to go on a lot of walks during winter, and if I ever had to stay inside due to intense weather conditions, I would play lots of guitar and hangout with friends who also lived in my residential hall to help keep me entertained.
-Go have fun: You are a college student- take advantage of that! Tufts Facilities does all the hard work of plowing, shoveling, and putting down road salt so that you have an accessible campus. We get to enjoy the fun parts of the snow, so don’t take things too seriously. Go plop yourself in that snow bank, make a snow angel, or throw a snowball at your friend! At the end of the day, it’s just snow, so it’s not gonna hurt you.
Some of my favorite memories in the snow have been trying to sled down Prez Lawn with a storage container lid as a makeshift sled, making a snowman with my hallmates, and going out for a peaceful walk in the snow with my roommate, Elsa. I don’t know what it is about a quiet night in the snow, but it just puts your mind at rest, and it’s one of the calmest, most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced.
I will say though, out of all the fun I’ve had in the snow, the funniest thing will always be my friends watching me experience the snow. Since coming to Tufts, I’ve made a lot of friends who have come from areas where there’s heavy snow, so they’re totally used to it. On the other hand, whenever I see the snow, I absolutely freak out, get super excited, and immediately want to go outside. Many of my friends always have a laugh about how excited I seem, and with my predictions, I’m going to be just as excited to do this all again next year.