How are you going to handle the cold? Do you really want to trade the beach for the snow? Why are you leaving the warm weather? These were the types of questions that I was immediately bombarded with when I told people that I would be attending the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Upon just hearing the word Wisconsin, people would always bring up the freezing temperatures, frozen lake, and constant snow. I thought the cold winters were going to be brutal, especially from hearing all these questions and my little experience living in cold temperatures. Growing up in Los Angeles, I considered 50 degrees freezing, so I expected to suffer when the Madison winter temperatures were around 20 degrees.
My expectation of the winter was very different than reality. Honestly, I didn’t think this winter was that awful. I imagined Madison would be so cold that I would barely be able to walk outside, but that was not true. I won’t lie, I did Uber and take the bus when it was really cold, but I did walk to the majority of my classes. Most people don’t talk about all the fun that happens in the winter, and instead focus on the brutal temperatures. I came prepared and purchased some scarves, gloves, and jackets, in order to keep me warm, all of which came in handy. Some of my favorite memories of my freshman year happened in the winter, which was a time that I expected to dread. So, for anyone scared of the cold Wisconsin winters, don’t be!
