Springtime’s arrival in New Orleans can only mean one thing… rain. There might be blue skies and sunshine before your first class of the day, but don’t be surprised when you get caught in a downpour on your way back to your room.. or worse, your next class. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than sitting in a muggy classroom for an hour in dripping wet clothes. Here are my five best tips on how to beat the rain!
1) ALWAYS carry an umbrella. I don’t care how cloudless the sky is, just do it. Sun showers are a thing here, and they are so unpredictable.
2) That being said, you have so many options when it comes to umbrellas. I actually own several, varying from a tiny one to keep in my tote bag to a larger, more sturdy one. It seems a little excessive, but I am not joking when I say that the rain here has broken two of my umbrellas in the last 7 months.
3) Invest in a rain jacket. Like sun showers, sideways rain is also a thing. Umbrellas do not protect you from sideways rain; I know this from experience.
4) When it is raining, absolutely DO NOT wear flip flops. Sure, it seems like a good idea.. They’re plastic and can get wet without facing any serious damage. No problem, right? WRONG. I once wore flip flops to a class on the Academic Quad, and then the rain began. Guess what… it floods there. And the water moves. My left flip flop washed away and I had to chase it while onlookers laughed.
5) Know your rain boots, trust your rain boots, love your rain boots. My roommate and I wear the same size shoe. Between us, we have rain boots ranging from ankle to knee-high. It’s awesome to have both because sometimes all you need is something to walk through squishy mud and small puddles and not ruin any good shoes, but other times areas of campus flood enough to call for knee-high wellies.
Obviously the rain will still get the best of us from time to time, but maybe these tips will help you have a few less #tulaneproblems!
(Photo Credit to Emma Beall)