I have never before heard someone say “I love the cold.” Well, there’s a reason for that; no one wants to shiver and layer up every time they step outside their home. Prior to moving to Ohio, I never dreaded having to go outside. Certainly, it was hot, but the heat was offset by pools, the river, and the ocean, which were all nearby. Also, if you were hot, it generally also meant that it was summer, which means no school. In Ohio, if it’s cold, chances are you are in school still and at Kenyon, your work is constantly piling up.
There is something about the cold that adds on to the dreariness of the already dark skies that come with Ohio winters. As if the warm weather and sunshine being taken away weren’t upsetting enough, every day that you wake up, you are waking up to either rain or snow. And, the sky always appears to be grey, as if life was not meant to be there. Better yet, the sky looks like it is ready to take revenge on Ohio.
In order to live in the North, you also have to purchase way more gear for the snow and cold then you do for the heat in the South. If you live in the South, all you really need is a t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and a bathing suit. In order to survive Ohio winters, you need multiple coats, depending on how cold it is outside, snow boots, gloves, thick socks, a sweater, a hat, and a pair of long pants. All of these extra clothes cost a lot more, in comparison to a shirt and shorts. Living in two very different climates whether I am in Ohio or Virginia is a struggle to say the least. Not only do I need double the clothes because there is very little crossover between the two climates, but I had to buy an entire winter wardrobe upon being accepted into Kenyon.
I can remember the Christmas before coming to Kenyon, asking for sweaters, hats, and gloves as Christmas presents from everyone in my family. It is actually pretty funny because whenever my friends back home go somewhere cold or my partner comes to visit, I always have to lend them cold gear. There is a difference between a North Face jacket bought in the South vs. a North Face jacket bought in the North. My partner and I learned that very quickly. The stores carry jackets that best match the winters for the area that they are selling jackets in.
By far the most shocking thing for a Southerner when moving to the North is the amount of snow that accumulates at any time. Back home, if there is more than an inch of snow or even the remote possibility of snow, school is cancelled, the grocery store is out of everything, and no one is on the roads. People acted as if the world was going to end. Now, in Ohio, if it snows, I know that I will still have class. In the process of getting to class, I may even, have to trek through snow, because the maintenance crews did not have time to clear it. If the same amount of snow that I have trekked through in order to go to class, existed in Williamsburg, Virginia, the sidewalks would be seen as a safety hazard. And, to be honest, that is not completely untrue. I have slipped multiple times and even wiped out, but around here that just seems to be accepted.
Any state that is in the North lives an entirely different life than their Southern counterparts when it comes time for winter. In any place that you visit, that has a climate different than your own, some adjustment will be necessary. However, moving to the North from somewhere South is not only expensive but much more difficult than moving to a warmer climate.