As winter approached, I anticipated the ideal winter wonderland. The idea of snow covering all of the buildings was what Harvard should be like in my mind.
However, I was not looking forward to the cold. Though I was slightly used to cold temperatures, it was my first time living in the Northeast for winter, and with it, my first time braving the cold to walk more than 2 minutes to class.
Because of that, I was slightly stressed over the simple things, like "Do I need winter gloves?," or "How long of a coat should I get?" Luckily for me, my host family helped me figure a lot of it out.
If you're wondering what a host family is, don't worry, I was in your shoes last year.
Essentially, Harvard has a Host Family Program, which pairs first-years with Harvard affiliates to give them a sense of community here. I really loved my host, because she was always there when I needed someone to reach out to!
My daily trek! It was so pretty!
So, after the snow settled, I was trudging through the yard bundled up from head to toe. Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. Yes, I was wearing a long coat, and yes I was wearing snow boots, but after a point you adjust to the cold. There were days when I believed 40 degrees Fahrenheit was warm!
Despite my complaints about the cold, it was so much fun. After Winter Break, I came back to piles of snow, and two approaching snowstorms. I was nervous about walking to Annenberg Hall (the first year dining hall) amid a blizzard, but the amazing staff here worked tirelessly to clear the paths and make sure that we were all fed.
A hike that I took with the Harvard Outing Club!
A few of my favorite memories here include going ice skating in the Commons, going on hikes with the Outing Club, having impromptu snowball fights in the yard, and sledding down Widener steps! There were so many opportunities for fun during the winter! Towards the end, I even went to the Conan Gray concert with a few friends.
Weld Hall and Widener
Overall, my first winter here was a huge success! Though I did unwillingly face my unease over the cold, I also made some lifetime memories.
