Let’s be honest: the weather at Connecticut College, especially in the winter, is not great at least 85% of the time. If it’s not snowing, it’s cold and damp enough to deter most people from stepping outside of their dorms. And even if you’re not on campus this semester, most of the country has been cold and snowy, so you’re probably not wanting to go outside, either. But since we are stuck in our dorm rooms and homes more than normal now, thanks to COVID and online classes, even in the winter, we feel the need to go anywhere but our room. Even though the weather may not be great (we will have to wait until at least April for that), it doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun outside. Sometimes you just need to remember what it was like to be in elementary school and out of school for a snow day.
Here are a few ideas for what to do outside (and how to make the cold bearable) during this long winter.
- Hot Chocolate Makes Everything Better
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When it is cold outside and there is snow on Tempel Green, my favorite way to bring a little warmth into my life is to get a hot chocolate (with almond milk) from one of the student-run coffee shops on campus. With a hot drink in hand, it makes taking a stroll around campus with my friends a bit more bearable. Now that we are in alert level green, I also like to hang out in Coffee Closet or Coffee Grounds to do work or just chat with my friends. But regardless, hot chocolate with or without whipped cream is the perfect treat to grab before heading out for a brief walk in an effort to recharge before your next Zoom class.
– Elizabeth Berry ‘21
- Bundle Up
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When my friends and I first got back to campus, we were nervous about how we would be able to see each other with everything going on. Obviously, we wanted to follow all of the school’s rules and stay safe for our own health, so we had to get creative. Basically, what we decided to do was bundle up and go for some socially distanced walks in the arboretum. It was definitely a little intimidating thinking about going out in the cold-snowy weather, but ultimately, being able to (safely) see each other was completely worth it. When we got too cold, we just headed back to our designated dorms and facetimed each other. It was really nice to be able to take advantage of our beautiful campus in a safe, rule-abiding way.
– Gretchen Volk ‘21
- Play with Snow
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If you’re willing to be outside for an extented period of time (keep in mind what Gretchen said), you could always channel your childhood and play in the snow with your friends. Now, social distancing requirements might make it more difficult, but you could always make socially distant snow angels or snowmen on the green. Then you could go to the coffee shop after to get toasty again!
– Elizabeth Vinson ’21
(Hint: You should probably go on a walk.)