This week has been especially cold. Even here on the East Coast windchill temperatures reached a low of minus 25 °C. They made my car give up once more, i.e. the battery discharged again. I won’t even try to start it again before temperatures rise next week. And I know we are really lucky here. I have got a friend from high school who lives with her family in Chicago – and they are suffering much more. It was so ice-cold that they didn’t leave their house. Schools were closed for a few days. So yes, we got off lightly here in Boston, but it still isn’t that much fun to only step in front of the door and feel cold immediately. The winds are very strong. I guess in general I am just sick of winter. I would be totally ready for spring, but that will take at least another two months. So I have to try my best to make it through another harsh New England winter.
On the rather average freezing day these things help to keep me warm:
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- I drink plenty of hot tea on cold days, either white or herbal ones. Actually a lot more than coffee, but still from my biggest Starbucks mugs. They fit almost half a liter. Sometimes I switch to a cup of hot chocolate in between.
- Besides hot drinks I love hot soups. Some of all time favorites are this vegan beetroot soup and this Turkish yogurt soup.
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- I don’t like the cold very much, but I still try to spend at least ten to fifteen minutes a day outside. The bright daylight outside has a positive impact on me. Sometimes I wrap a big scarf around half of my face in order to keep it warmer and breathe more easily.
- Even though my outfits might not be the prettiest ones these days – I am just saying Ugg boots -, they at least keep me warm. I wear several layers, including undershirts (my teenage me just doesn’t understand how I could ever end up wearing these voluntarily – but my teenage me also didn’t have to survive New England winters). I also often wear my fur vest on top of a really warm sweater. Fleece jackets are great as well. So are fleeced hats – they are the warmest I own. Oh, and fleece leggings, which I feel are one of the greatest inventions ever.
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- I generally put my heating at home to about 23 °C. I am quite lucky that heating is already included in my rent, otherwise the bill this winter would most likely be horrendously high, esp. considering the awful insulation. I also don’t want the cat to catch a cold. To add a little homely feeling, I switch on a fireplace app on my TV.
- For my general well being I try to take care of my body. My skin tends to become rather dull from the cold and the dry heating air. So I use balancing serums and creams for sensitive skin on my face. I always put on lotion after I shower. And since my nose gets really dry, I reach for my neti pot regularly. I am aware that a lot of people think it is very disgusting. But once you’ve rinsed your nose a few times, it feels very natural and not terrible at all.
© janavar
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