The weather in Baltimore lately has been anything but normal. Temperatures have ranged from 80 to 40 degrees. There has been a slight flurry, many cold rainfalls and abundant sunshine, sometimes all within the same day. But the overall trend, as appropriate for the season, is that the temperature is quickly declining.
Cold weather can be a very negative thing if you're not prepared. You can catch a cold, get the flu, become seasonally depressed or just feel uncomfortable. However, there are several things you can do to keep warm despite the falling mercury in your thermometer.
Soup is one miraculous invention. Soup is warm, liquidy yet solid, and it's food-like enough to fill you up like a full meal. I recommend tomato soup on a cold day right after you come home. Heat up one of the ready-made cans with some cheese thrown in for added flavor and sip. Your hands will be warmed, your throat will be soothed, and your appetite will be satiated.
On the same liquid-goodness strain as soup, hot chocolate, coffee or tea are also great cold weather treats. However, chocolate can cause more phlegm to build up, so if you already have a cold, tea is obviously the better option (not as tasty, however).
The most obvious way to combat the cold is to wear warm clothing. However, a couple problems arise when it comes to dressing appropriately.
For starters, when the weather is just starting to change, many people feel as though it isn't that much colder out and won't change their apparel. This is how many people get sick in the intermediate seasons.
In addition, it is nearly impossible to dress for the outside and the inside. While it may be colder outdoors, once within the walls of your apartment or classroom the radiators work overtime to overcompensate for the chill, leaving you, at times, sweating.
It's hard to wear a sweater to class without wanting to tear it off once inside. The best option is to layer, although that can be difficult at times, especially when trying to keep with certain trends.
One fun way to warm up is by moving around. Sure, you can run in circles or something boring like that, but the best way to move, I always say, is to groove! Dance like nobody is watching, get your blood flowing, your adrenaline pumping, and in no time you'll be radiating heat of your own. Dancing with a partner can lead to an even warmer sensation.
On that note, one of the best ways to keep warm is through body heat. Huddle up! Whether it's with a boyfriend, girlfriend, just a friend or even an entire party of cuddlers, when the weather outside gets colder, make the indoors hotter!
You'll be amazed how much warmer you'll feel by holding someone, hugging someone or even by sitting closer to someone. We're all in this together, so help out mankind and stay close!
Join groups and participate in activities that take place indoors. Being with other people can help warm you up, but being with other people inside is double the warm fuzzy feeling.
While sports and some community service efforts may force you to be out in the cold, there are many groups on campus and off which take place within the walls of buildings. Audition for a play, write for a publication, intern in an office, find a solution to a cause you care about - all within the safety of a building.
Take up fire walking. Or breathing. Or juggling. I'm sure you can find at least one of these activities within the Entertainers Club on campus, but even if you do it on your own, these less traditional activities may be just the trick to heat you up . . . and maybe even spice up your life in general.
What could be hotter than walking over a bed of coals? While I do not advise trying any of the above without proper supervision/lessons/etc., who knows, maybe you'll find your true calling!
Ultimately, keeping warm shouldn't be a task - it should be fun! Sure, it should be something you actively think about, but don't worry too much. Just be smart, and don't get sick. As the weather starts to cool down more, try to think of creative ways to stay warm and still have a good time, rather than staying cooped up in your apartment by the radiator all winter long. Because it is only going to get colder, and the winter will only get longer if you don't get out!
