What's a Parka?

At Dartmouth, I am experiencing a lot of “firsts” that includes my first-time tasting the deliciousness of a King Arthur Flour (KAF) caramel chai tea to surviving my first “cold” day. Coming from the sunny, hot Arizona with “frigid” winters that dip as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, my winter gear was comprised of two layers of sweaters, a scarf, jeans, and the occasional beanie. As you can imagine, I was a bit unprepared when I woke up one morning with the temperature in the low twenties! My first rookie mistake came that morning, as I took a shower right before stepping out into the cold New England morning.

Here is me being amazed at the frozen tips of my hair. At this point, it is obvious I am from Arizona!

Within minutes, I ended my morning walk to the Class of Fifty-Three Commons (Foco) shivering with tiny icicles covering the ends of my hair. That was the “reality-check” I needed, as my thin running sweater and cute Vans will not keep me warm much longer. With a couple of upperclassmen friends and my laptop, I began my research for winter gear and it was a learning experience. I walked away with three pieces of important information!

1.Wool socks are a necessity. The only socks I have ever owned my whole life includes white, tube Nike socks and ankle socks for running, so as you can imagine, this came as a huge surprise to me. One pro tip I learned from an L.L.Bean employee is to never put your wool socks in the dryer, as they will shrink!

2. Your legs may get cold walking between classes, but you can combat this my wearing leggings underneath your pants! Again, this came as a huge surprise to me. I never would’ve imagined myself doubling up on layers for my legs.  

A hot, steaming cup of Starbucks to warm me from the cold!

3. Yes, parka jackets that reach to your thighs are a MUST. I have not yet experienced true New Hampshire winter yet, but my friends ensured that while shopping for a good winter coat, longer is better! In addition to this, layers help too as once you enter a building for class, you immediately get hot. Peeling off layers helps this as well!

New Hampshire winters are no joke. This Arizona girl is ready to experience my first winter with snow that does not melt by noon.