Winter break is right around the corner and the temperature is dropping day by day. The chances of snow are becoming increasingly more likely, and with the break already being long as it is, being snowed in at home could sound dreadful.
However, many of us may not realize that being snowed in is a perfect opportunity to do the things you would usually never have time to do. Instead of moping around the couch all day in your pajamas wishing you could drive to your best friend’s house, take advantage of the free day to yourself.
The most obvious, lazy activity to do while snowed in is to watch movies, especially romantic comedies or holiday movies to get you in that mood, that require no thinking at all. It is a great way to pass time while enjoying something a little more interesting than 24-hour re-runs of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” on E.
Sophomore business major Jourdi Tobias spends her snowed in days, “Watching TV and movies and drinking hot chocolate.” She also enjoys playing in the snow, a more active option for those who rather spend time in the snow instead of in the house.
Who said college students are too old to go sledding and play in the snow? If you can’t drive anywhere, you might as well go for a walk and take advantage of your one chance to act like a kid again and have it be completely socially acceptable.
After a long day in the cold snow, coming in to a nice fire and cup of hot chocolate is extremely relaxing. Treat yourself to a bath and spend as long as you’d like reading a book of your choice, rather than the usual mandatory textbook for class. Again this is perfect time to do things just for yourself that are usually last on your “to-do” list.
If hanging out in 30 degree weather isn’t really your thing, there’s plenty to do inside while still keeping active. If you have a Wii or Xbox Connect that no one hardly touches anymore, this is a great time to bring it out and burn some calories if you can’t make it to the gym. It’s also a lot of fun and since it’s usually a “waste of time,” what else do you have to do?
If you don’t have one of these active game systems, try finding a yoga or abs workout on your TV. With the thousands of channels available to most of us today, there has to be one dedicated to staying fit. On-Demand has a lot of these 10-20 minute workout videos, and they’re a great way to stay active while snowed in your house.
Or, you could do quite the opposite and bake or cook. Experimenting with ingredients you already have in your kitchen since you can’t make the trip to the grocery store is innovative and fun. This way, you’re making your next meal by saving money and wasting time.
Supercook.com is a recipe search engine that allows you to enter in all the ingredients you have in your home, and it generates recipes you can make with what you have. It can recommend something you’ve never had before, therefore making your next snowed in meal that much more exciting.
Don’t forget about your computer; the beauty of the Internet is endless. If the snowstorm doesn’t wipe out your Internet connection, start a new TV series or do some winter shopping online. Most college students do this when they have work to do anyways, so why not do it when there is no procrastination involved?
CNN Chicago also suggested pulling up an iChat or Skype video conference call with friends also snowed in. They said this could be like an online party, making it possible to play games and talk to your friends while snowed in at your respective houses.
Instead of having an online party, check the weather ahead of time like sophomore businesses major Cameron Brinks and his friends at home did for the blizzard of 2010, and plan to get snowed in with your friends. “We knew the blizzard was coming so we went to a friend’s house to have a party and we got snowed in,” Brinks said.
Don’t let the snow keep you from having fun this break. Though being trapped in your house may seem unbearable, there are many ways to pass the time inside or out in the snow that you would usually never dedicate time for.