Hi, I have a simple question. How to survive winters in Toronto? Any tips?
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hey there,
here’s a tip: abandon all your pride. just do it. because if you don’t, you’ll convince yourself that there’s a chance that you can get through the winter in little boots and cute, tiny jackets. you’ll believe you can get through the winter alive and still look cute as heck.
well, i tell you what’s gonna happen if you choose to believe that: you’ll spend 5 months slipping and sliding around on the ice, cursing the wind that blows right through your jacket and leaking water from your nose that freezes on impact with the air. at that point, you won’t care that you look cute. you’ll hate yourself for looking cute.
so, in the name of your own sanity, just accept that you’re going to spend the better part of the school year looking like a fleecy manatee. buy warm, columbia jackets. buy real boots. buy a hat that fully covers your ears – cute little beanies that hang off the back of your head ain’t gonna cut it. buy real mits and a thick scarf.
if you’re going to be commuting to school – or even for the walk between your residence building to class – you should have a playlist on your phone/music player of songs you actually, currently like. otherwise, you’ll drive yourself insane taking off your gloves every three minutes to skip to the next song you can tolerate in your library.
warm tea or coffee can make even the most blizzardy day a little better, especially in the morning. yeah, you might burn your tongue, but you’re a torontonian now. you’re hardcore. some fried taste buds before class won’t shake you.
if you’re gonna be living in residence, buy some portable heaters. notice i made ‘heaters’ plural.
and finally: try and enjoy it! if you’ve never had a winter in Toronto or even Canada, your first one is going to be a little magical, no matter how much you despise the cold (and believe me, i despise the cold). build a snowman with some friends. go skating in nathan phillips square. walk along the harbourfront while it’s snowing. enjoy the christmas lights along bloor street. hold hands with a crush in the name of ‘warmth.’ and try to remember: spring will come back eventually.
i hope that was helpful!
best,
aska