Love It/Hate It: Cold Weather

Love It: Name a rom-com set during the summer. I dare you. (And no, Mamma Mia doesn’t count) — Anjali Z. Mehta

When I decided to attend college in New England, everyone back home in Los Angeles warned me of the apocalyptic weather. “Dark at 4p.m.” “Constant shivers.” “Avocados not in season!?!” They acted like I was off to a coffee shop that only has dairy milk. I was probably over-prepared for the cold, both mentally and physically (thanks to the five scarves I got for Christmas). Even still, I’ve found that as long as I wear a sufficient number of layers, which you can still do fashionably (balaclava anyone?), I’m never excessively uncomfortable outside. What’s more, I’ve realized there are several, often overlooked, advantages to cold weather…

“Oh my gosh, it’s so cold outside! I swear I’m going to freeze.” Bam! Conversation started. Awkward silence averted. You now have an excuse to talk to your section crush. You’re welcome. Plus, since people walk faster in the cold, you’ll never be forced to interact with that one person you made out with in the Sig Chi basement that one time.

The cold is also a socially acceptable reason to stay in. Binge that TV show. Do some wholesome indoor activities with your friends. Strategically plan a meet up with your sneaky link so they’re forced to stay over during a blizzard.

And let’s not forget the snow. While it can be physically painful to see the same white landscape on the entire student body’s Instagram, the snow brings many fun activities. Now’s the time for intense snowball fights, hot chocolate, sledding down Widener steps, and ice skating in Boston Commons. Perhaps you even take a pensive winter walk. Yes, you might lose feeling in some fingers, but you won’t have to apply blush for the rest of the day.

If you’re still not convinced, just think of the cold as the third Hemsworth brother, a necessary evil that will make you appreciate Liam and Chris the warmth even more.

My friends often ask if I’m doing okay in the Boston chill. I tell them no, I’m not doing okay, but it has nothing to do with the cold.

Hate It: Elsa needs to pack up her bags and go — Fadzai M. Ngwerume

Before arriving on campus, my biggest fear about moving to Cambridge was the cold winters. Back home in South Africa, our winters only go as low as about 50℉, which was cold enough for me. I had never even seen snow before and I thought that Canada Goose was just a type of North American bird. Oh, those were the days. Living in Cambridge has been the first time I have ever experienced temperatures below 0℃ (32℉) and I truly believe that temperatures this low should be illegal. Anyone who disagrees with me can come fight me. Indoors. Where it’s warm.

“But Fadzai, you’re missing the point. Winter is great because you get to be cosy indoors and snuggle up by the fireplace with a good book and drink hot chocolate”. Okay, and your point is…? I would rather be cozy basking in the sun in a park or on the beach instead of having numb toes and feeling like my entire body is being stabbed by a thousand tiny knives whenever I am outside. Anyone who says that winter is their favorite season automatically gets an entry in my Burn Book. I will never understand their desire for cold, dark days, dead trees and wearing fifty thousand layers of clothing.

All the American Christmas rom-coms and songs I watched and listened to growing up lied to me about the snow. The so-called “Winter Wonderland” is fake news. It’s more like a “Winter No-Man’s-Land”. I always pictured snow as being pristine and beautiful and I imagined myself living my best life making snow angels, building cute snowmen, frolicking through the snow and living my most hot girl winter. And yes, the snow is beautiful, but that’s where the appeal stops. No one told me how treacherous and life-threatening snow actually can be. I learnt this lesson very quickly when I was minding my own business, walking down a path and suddenly slipped on some ice and fell to my doom (my knee was swollen for a whole week). I did not fly across the ocean to come to the U.S. only to be sent home to my parents’ doorstep as an ice sculpture in a coffin. Don’t even get me started on all the snow sludge and mud on the streets that makes Shrek’s swamp look like Disneyland.

No one will ever convince me that cold weather is the best weather. As I sit and type this, while defrosting from my time outside, I am counting down the days until I’m not starring in Frozen 3. To quote Elsa: “The cold never bothered me anyway The cold always bothers me everyday.”