I have very frigid feelings for the cold
I hate the cold. Every morning when I pick out a jacket, the day seems a little more bleak. I have a hard time getting on board with weather under 75 degrees and I’m not ashamed to admit that my cold tolerance is very low. So low in fact, that sometimes California winters are too much for me to handle. I have taken to wearing intense fuzzy socks and multiple sweatshirts to sleep every night. It wasn’t always like this.
In my younger years, I would proudly flaunt the fact that I didn’t need a jacket to brave the cold. Maybe it is karma for all those years of taking it for granted, but it is safe to say that my cold tolerance has not remained strong over the years.
Lately, I feel like I have been having more conversations about the cold. Maybe it’s because the weather is go-to awkward small talk, but I feel like there has definitely been an increase in the number of times I have talked about the cold weather. I think a big reason for this is because of college applications. Whenever I tell people I am applying to schools on the East Coast, the conversation usually evolves into some sort of discussion about the way I will handle the cold weather.
I am fine with commiserating with fellow cold-haters about the weather– that much is evident from this article. But what really puts my bees in a bonnet is the judgemental commentary coming from East Coasters.
I already understand that I cannot handle the cold. I already understand that if I choose to move to the East Coast in the future, it is going to be painful adjusting to the winters. What I do not understand, is this need to rub it in my face.
I saw a tweet the other day comparing Californians’ outlook on cold weather with everyone else’s. To summarize, the quote said something about how Californians complain when it drops below 75, to which East Coasters respond with a tirade of insults about how weak and cold intolerant we all are. And honestly, no tweet about the weather has ever resonated with me more. I would also like to ask these very rude and arrogant residents of the East Coast how they would begin to handle wind and wildfires.
For the next few months, I have no interest in hearing about my cold-weather shortcomings. Maybe I’ll move to the East Coast and realize I flourish in below freezing temperatures. Maybe I’ll realize that all my East Coast haters were right the whole time and I’ll spend the next four years anticipating moving back home. Or maybe I won’t go to the East Coast at all, and I’ll realize West Coast is the best coast after all. But I would like people to allow me to make that decision without inserting their unsolicited weather-related advice.