Winter in the Midwest, and specifically Minnesota, is long, cold, and relentless. Temperatures reach negative 20 and the snow turns gray, making curling up in bed with a book or Netflix sound like heaven. Walking to and across campus becomes life’s biggest struggle. Winter is close, so don’t let it get the best of you.
Here are five ways to survive winter.
1. A good coat
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A high quality winter coat will last you a long time, so get one in a neutral color so it matches almost everything. Go for a better brand like The North Face or Columbia. Longer ones past your butt or down to your knees will help keep the wind at bay.
2. The right accessories
Along with a high quality coat, you’ll need the right hat, gloves, and scarf (if you wish). These things do not require the highest quality, but I recommend getting decent ones. Beanies are the best to keep your noggin warm while also looking cute. Love Your Melon beanies and cuffed beanies are a good investment because the money also goes toward charity. Touch-screen gloves are a great purchase; that way you can still use your phone with your gloves on. Those can be found at Target or Walmart. If you like scarves, knit infinity scarves are great because they can be pulled up to your chin for extra wind coverage.
3. A high quality to-go mug
Buying a nice to-go mug for either your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate will help keep both your drink and hands warm. Walmart and Target carry Contigo- and Aladdin-brand mugs that are great to take to the library or to class.
4. Finding winter activities
Going out on the weekends is never fun when it’s extremely cold, so finding things you can do inside is important. Find things to do with your friends like playing board or card games, baking new recipes, or DIY craft projects. Also find activities for outside your dorm room, apartment, or house. When there is a fresh snow go build a fort or a snowman, and find out the hours at your ice rink for public skating.
5. Weekend day trips
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When you’re feeling more ambitious, or there is a rare warm day in the middle of February, find places to go that will get you out of Winona. If you head to Minneapolis there are multiple museums you can go to. See a Wild game or go to the Mall of America. You can head to either the University of Minnesota or the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a Big 10 football, hockey, or basketball game.
Now go forth, and enjoy winter!