Freshman year, I could not figure out what was up with the weather. I am a Texas girl and the whole cold concept made no sense to me. The consistent precipitation turned my curls into a fro and I did not own a jacket thicker than a hoodie. I quickly developed tactics to deal with the strange Pittsburgh weather. I have survived in the northeast for two years! Check out my unique strategies:
1. Coffee maker
In the winter, it gets even harder to get out of bed. You have to leave your warm covers and you do not even have a cup of coffee in your hands! That can easily be changed – just move the coffee maker to your nightstand. Some people might call you lazy, but I call it warm and comfy.
2. Slicker – Puffy – Fleece Combo
During my first October in Pittsburgh, I went to REI and asked the sales person to outfit me for winter. They recommended buying 3 pieces – a rainproof portion, a down portion, and a fleece – that all fit together. Let me tell you, this is a miracle jacket. I can make it work for all variations of Pittsburgh weather. For rain or wind, I use just the slicker. For cold rain, the slicker and fleece are perfect together. In the snow, you can wear all three! If you did not come to college with a winter jacket, I highly recommend one of these.
3. Walmart rain boots
If you have not figured it out already, it rains A LOT in Pittsburgh. This makes rain boots essential and a central part of one’s wardrobe. Freshman year, I got bored always matching my outfit to the same boots. While home for winter break, I visited Walmart and found cheap (under $10) rain boots in multiple patterns. I now have multiple pairs, and each one has a different vibrant pattern. Choosing my shoes for the day is an important part of my morning routine and now I get to pick out shoes regardless of weather.
4. Target gloves
I have learned that you can never have too many pairs of gloves. Having cold hands and realizing that there are gloves in your pocket is an amazing feeling. I have gloves in all of my pockets thanks to my mommy. She saw that there were gloves in the $1 section of Target last year and not knowing what colors to buy; she bought me one pair in each color. I am now the proud owner of 10 pairs of gloves. Watch out for a sweet deal on gloves! Your hands will never be happier.
5. Men’s scarves
Freshman year, I had a lot of trouble finding really good warm scarves. The women’s section was usually out of thick scarves while there were plenty of men’s scarves. Men’s scarves are ultra-soft and come in lots of colors, though, the patterns may not be as exciting, the warmth is just as amazing and they are always in stock.