You're Welcome, Mom.

New England. The land of New England Patriots, clam chowder, skiing, birthplace of the American Revolution, and Cape Cod. I was born and raised in Connecticut; go to school in Massachusetts, and vacation in Vermont. It is safe to say I know a lot about New England. Yet, every single year, without fail, I am still shocked by how cold it gets. Morning after morning after morning I will walk outside and be slapped in the face by freezing cold New England air. So why do I still get so surprised by winter?
When I was in third grade, my mother made me wear one of those snowsuits (I can’t ski if my life depended on it). I thought it was ridiculous. “Mom! It’s not even that cold out! Moommmmmmm!” I felt like Randy from A Christmas Story (“I can’t put my arms down!”). I had an obscene amount of mittens, gloves, scarves and hats. My coats weighed more than I did. I was “that girl” during a fire drill that held up the rest of the class because I had so many extra layers to put on. My mother wouldn’t stop until about mid-April when all of the snow had melted. Then I would move to my spring jacket.
I hate to say this, but my mother was right. New England is New England. Sure we’ve had a couple of days in the 50s, but that doesn’t mean spring is here. Coats, mittens, gloves, hats and scarves were all invented for a reason: It gets cold in the winter. Like, real cold. That’s one of the great things about New England; every winter, it gets cold. Every year. You might be surprised that it took me almost 20 years to learn that. When you think you’re going to look so cool walking outside in 20 degree weather with just a t-shirt on, stop. Don’t be “that kid” who thinks they’re impervious to the cold. All you will end up with is frostbite.
I’ve decided to start a new trend. It’s called “Wear a Jacket Because It’s Freaking Cold Out”.