How to survive a Bay Area winter
It may not snow here, nor does the temperature drop below freezing, but it is genuinely cold. Even if someone insists otherwise, it is in fact cold — even if they come from Antarctica and swear they wore shorts out there with the penguins. What’s especially daunting is that at sunset, the temperature drops. Your peaceful frolics out in a tank top after class will quickly turn to frostbite if you’re unprepared. Here are some tips on how to survive:
Procure a Patagonia fleece jacket immediately
Nobody will even know you’re cold. This option offers the ability to be identified as a CS major, and your tech internship offers may increase exponentially. Yes, I know these jackets are pricey, so another possibility is meeting a tech bro at a party and borrowing theirs.
Find some more SoCal friends
Over 35% of students at Stanford are from California. You’re going to be able to find some people from Los Angeles or San Diego who match your energy. Together, you can huddle and manifest the sunny beaches (+1 if you find a friend who lets you bunk at their La Jolla waterfront home for the break).
Request a space heater from R&DE
This comes at no charge. You might dislike the limited closet space, your one-room double, the people in your hallway, etc. — but you’re going to be warm.
Sit in CoHo
Sometimes, you just can’t brave the cold. It’s time to move indoors. Go to CoHo, order a hot drink and pretend you’re by a warm fireplace in a quaint cabin. If there are too many people who are ruining your vibe, there are also indoor tables right outside the Package Center. There’s also no shame in just watching your TikToks in the public restroom.
Invest in a heated blanket and fuzzy socks
Not only can you carry these around everywhere, but also your friends will want to borrow your heated blanket. You’ll be well-dressed for any situation, whether it be an outdoor theater performance or pretending you’re on the steps of the MET when you’re at Memorial Church.
Special tip: Go to Terún and sit next to the heater
Now, this one requires a bike ride or walk to California Avenue. But you’ll get some exercise and warm up a little. Maybe you don’t have $20 today, but you can order a diet coke for $3 and get some free bread for the table.
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