Hi friends! Welcome back to the blog 🙂 I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season! Personally, my New Year’s resolution is to drink more water (dehydration is not the vibe I want to bring into 2025). Anyway, for those of you tuning in from warmer climates, I’ll be the first to admit that Massachusetts is fairly chilly right now. But, in true blogger fashion, I love to romanticize my life here, temperature included. So, without further ado, here is my official cold weather survival guide…Amherst style!
#1: Bundle up!
To a certain extent, you sort of do get used to cold New England winters after living through a few of them. However, even if you are more accustomed to the chillier months, a cozy accessory can go a long way in making walking around campus much more bearable. Personally, I am an advocate for wearing the biggest, softest, chunkiest, fluffiest scarf possible. The goal is to be more scarf than human. And, the wonderful thing about these kinds of scarves is that they can act as hat and scarf and accessory all in one. Now granted, I may look mildly ridiculous walking through campus buildings, but I’ve actually received a lot of compliments on my scarf collection, and most importantly, I am unbelievably cozy even in the coldest of weather.
#2 Eat some warm comfort food
Look, I know that nothing could ever compare to your favorite home cooked meal. But, when the weather is extra chilly, sometimes eating warm, yummy food can feel oddly cozy and comforting. Lucky for you, the town of Amherst is full of many many delicious restaurants to choose from. Whether you want a great slice of pizza from Antonio’s, a warm sandwich and coffee from Black Sheep, or a massive menu of Vietnamese options from Miss Saigon, there is truly something for everyone. In this photo, I’m eating hand pulled noodles from Lili’s. You can literally watch the noodles be pulled right behind the counter, and their dishes are the perfect comfort meal to combat the cold. Bonus points if you wear a chunky scarf on your walk to the restaurant.
#3 Enjoy the view
One of the redeeming qualities of Amherst weather is that the cold temperature is usually accompanied by some gorgeous scenery. Like so many students here, Memorial Hill is one of my absolute favorite views on campus year-round, but I think it’s especially beautiful in the winter. When the field and hill are covered in snow, you can often catch people sledding, and despite the below-freezing temperatures, I still spot people sitting in the Adirondack chairs as they soak in the view. I’ve been on campus for over a year and a half now, but every time I walk past Memorial Hill on my way to the gym it still takes my breath away. So, while Amherst undoubtedly has some unpleasant weather, at least it also has beautiful snowy views to make the temperature feel worth it.
Well, I hope everyone now feels nice and prepared to face a Massachusetts winter. While the weather here may not always be the warmest, I’ve really enjoyed finding cozy ways to combat the cold, and the snowy views here can be truly spectacular. As always, if anyone ever has any questions about Amherst, you can email me at eknauer27@amherst.edu. Bye for now!