At the time I was far, far away, as I had the chance to share the holiday season at home in Peru surrounded by my family and close friends.
I enjoyed the paradise of the northern beaches of Peru and I swam in the ocean like a fish. Time went by ridiculously quick and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye and return to NYC just a few days before the semester started giving me just enough time to get ready for my classes. I arrived in New York just one day before the #snowcalypse, aka The Jonas Storm
Although it was a unique experience, I dealt with a few struggles that ultimately helped me learn what to do and what to avoid in this kind of situation.
1. Buy food.
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Although I did manage to buy some food before it all began, others weren't as lucky and they had a hard time finding stores that were open during the blizzard. Be smart, get to the closest store and buy your favorite meals and cookies, cookies are super important.
Sometimes I wonder if eating ice cream during the storm is ironic. Is it?
2. Make sure your heater works.
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If it doesn't, purchase a small electric one until yours can be fixed because without a heater, your home is sure to turn into an igloo before the night ends. Be sure to check your heater well, and by that I mean you should get as close as you can to it and make sure you can
feel the heat. Sometimes heaters will still make the funny sounds without producing any heat. Weird, huh?
3. If you have a skylight, make sure there isn't any cracks.
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It's beautiful to have a room with skylights. It allows light to come into the space in a natural and artistic way. But, this magical experience has a negative side that is not shown in "Hey Arnold!" Just like Arnold, I live in a room with skylights and on the morning of the storm I woke up to see tiny particles of snow entering my room through the cracks in the skylight. Luckily my roommate had some duck tape to temporarily cover the cracks.
4. Pay attention to the news.
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Several students had a hard time getting home when the buses, taxis and parts of the subway stopped working. Be sure to stay informed so this doesn't happen to you. The news is everywhere, so you don't necessarily need to be near a TV to know whats going on.
5. Don't make important plans if there is a storm alert.
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I had a major event I was looking forward to, but it was canceled for obvious reasons. So, plan ahead and as soon as you see a storm alert reschedule asap.
6. Have a Netflix emergency list or a stack of movies to watch.
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This time the storm only lasted for one day, so it was okay. But sometimes it can last for days leaving you lonely and bored. So be sure to have something that can keep you entertained, so you forget you are trapped and the reality outside your door is something like "Narnia." If you haven't seen "
The Office" this could be your chance to experience an amazing series. Sneak peak: Celebrate with
Michael Scott!