Bitter Cold

I have an 8 am class on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Brock. If you are a female at Southern and live in the dorm, the building “Brock” is almost always mentioned with a hint of disdain around this time of year. It is located at the very opposite end of campus from the girls’ dorm. In the fall, it makes for a beautiful walk and, simultaneously, plenty of time to run into a bunch of friends when the time to switch classes rolls around. However, in the wintertime, such on days like today when it is a mere seven degrees outside, it proves to be, well… miserable.

And so this morning? I had to walk to Brock. Now, up in one of my cabinets, I have a container stuffed with scarves and gloves. I have a really nice, warm headband in my t-shirt drawer. And my roommate gave me the greatest gift ever last year of this super super nice NorthFace coat. It’s like a personal heater.

But this morning? I got out of bed far after my alarm got off (as per usual). So, while eating a scrumptious breakfast of peanut butter and bread, (That was sarcasm. The only reason I like PB&J is because I love jelly. This was like a PB&J… without the jelly.) I threw on a sweater that looks cute but doesn’t do much other than that, ankle socks which basically just exaggerate how cold my legs are by making my feet feel kind of warm, my worn out brown boots that are pure holes on the bottom, and my old pea coat that I’ve had for….wait for it….going on five years now. (And yes, I also wore pants.) And is my coat warm? No. Not at all. But I’ve worn it for so long (which is pretty obvious as the pockets are now worn down to just holes. One time I walked to class jingling because a bunch of change had gotten stuck somewhere in there.) that I’ve become rather attached to it and can’t bear to see it go. In fact, pretty much every time I’m around someone and the weather comes up I say, “Hey! Guess how long I’ve had this coat! Almost five years! And guess what else?! It’s terrible quality!” No one seems to care as much as I do.

But anyways, when I finally made it to class, I was red as it gets. “My word. Your ears would put Rudolph’s nose to shame!” one of my friends said. I did that whole little laugh thing when all you’re really thinking is hahahaha um that’s not funny.

My friend Kim looked at me with despair. “You wore that coat again?! Now I’m gonna have to listen to you complain all the way down the promenade about how cold you are!” She and I have a tradition of walking to our next class together. It’s amazing what wonderful conversation we fit into that little ten-minute walk. She is just so fabulous. So, to keep the peace, I made a promise to her that I wouldn’t complain today. I didn’t keep it.

The other day I was walking to work when I saw my friend, Peter, running down the promenade. He and I went to highschool together, and I can’t begin to count the hours I spent sitting in the office with him while he helped me with Algebra II. He is quite a character, and as he attended a different school our senior year, I always enjoy seeing him around again. And the other day when I saw him running? It was probably about fifteen degrees outside and he was wearing shorts. And a t-shirt. And flipflops. So Peter.

I ran into him today and laughed, “I saw you the other day running because you were so cold! Maybe you should wear actual shoes!” “I wasn’t running because I was cold. It was because I was late!!!” he proclaimed, “I got out of a test late and my class was all the way over in Brock!” Good old Brock. I told him he should still wear shoes. He shook his head and we parted ways.

Tonight I was talking to some friends about how cold it's getting. I told them how I checked the weather on my phone this morning and saw that it was negative fourteen degrees outside. Oh my goodness is this for real? I am never getting up. I am not leaving this room. That's pretty much all I was thinking, until I realized my phone was set to Celsius, not Fahrenheit. Go figure.

It's so funny this time of year. Watching everyone bolt across the promenade, heads down, earmuffs on, wanting nothing more than to get to the heat. Nothing beats walking into that classroom and finally feeling warm.

But even with this crazy weather, I love going to school here. I love that there are so many different people with such diverse personalities. I love that I can learn about things that interest me, and vent to my friends about the things that don’t. I love that when it’s cold outside I can walk to the VM and eat chili with Fritos and cheese and sour cream, a little taste of home.

I love that I have warm clothes stuffed into every drawer and cabinet in my room, even though sometimes I’m not smart enough to wear them.

I love that I can run into old friends from high school and joke around the same way we did when we were fifteen.

I love that I can walk to Brock at 7:53 in the morning, constantly checking my phone because I might be late and oh no what if I miss the first few questions on the quiz and promising myself that next time? I’ll wear the NorthFace.

I love that I live in a place where so many different people of so many different backgrounds share the same sidewalks, dream some of the same dreams, and bundle up in scarves and sweaters to fight the same bitter cold.

Here's me today in my beloved jacket, with Dani, my far more beloved friend.