How to Deal with the Cold as a Californian

As someone not native to the East Coast (yes, finally someone not from New York), fall has a different meaning. As a Southern Californian, fall used to mean pulling on a light cardigan and sipping on an iced pumpkin spice latte. So the start of the New England fall was a rude awakening — WHY IS IT ALREADY COLD?!? As the weather just gets colder and colder, here are some tips to get us through this weather.

Manifest that you are in California.

Close your eyes in your roach-infested dorm room and pretend that you are back in Southern California. Take out your Amethyst crystal, and rub it maybe? Not too sure how the whole TikTok crystal thing works... Perhaps forget your hatred for Zoom, and try a virtual background.

Bring out the 5-pound coat early.

Don't be ashamed. Bring out the thick winter coat (or dare I say Canada Goose) and the never-ending layers. You bought it for this reason. Pro tip: don’t stop until your body is completely hidden under a mountain of clothes. Maybe you’ll be the sore thumb in a sea of shorts and Birkenstocks. But hey, embrace your inner girlboss and keep warm.

Stand next to the warm spot by Canaday.

Have a class in the Science Center? If so, plug your nose and enjoy the gust of warm wind from the vent by Canaday on the way. This is the perfect place to stop right after or before a meal at Berg and contemplate life. Go ahead, make it official and put it in your G-Cal:

1:30-2 p.m. Stand in Front of Vent.

Complain to anyone that will hear it.

The tourists in the yard, the rat in your room, the “influencer” filming a day in the life, your mirror — the options are endless. In true Californian fashion, you can’t let anyone forget you are from California. Extra points if you can mention L.A. or the beach in your rant.

Think of the positives.

You’re not a Yale student.

While real cold weather is daunting, at least it calls for pumpkin-spiced everything and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing a Canada Goose every 5 feet from now on. And don’t forget that you now have something to brag about every time you call friends and family back home — the aggressive winter is just another part of the ~transformative experience~ here at Harvard!