I remember when I first got to college. I met so many people in my building and classes, my mouth was sore from talking by the end of the first week. Almost every conversation I had revolved around the same core questions; where are you from, what are you studying, etc. While I got a bunch of different of responses when I told people I was studying business, all of the responses I got when I told people I was from California were the same.

“Why would you ever leave California to come here?” “Are you ready for winter?” “Have you ever seen snow?”

As great as California is, I want to explore the country. As amazing as UCLA is, they don’t have what I want to study. I think I am ready for winter. I have a big jacket and a big comforter, so hopefully I will survive. Yes I have seen snow, ever heard of Tahoe?

Wow was I wrong.

The lows in the Bay Area in the depth of winter are the 50s. And while I grew up going to Tahoe, the only time I went outside in the snow was to go skiing, in which I was dressed in a huge jacket and pants. Believe it or not that is not socially acceptable to wear to class.

I was not prepared for winter.

A few months ago I went and bought a parka. I decided to keep it at home until I came back in October for fall break since it was huge and would take up the majority of my closet at school.

When I got back to school in late October after fall break and it hit the 40s I tried to wear my parka to class. Upon leaving my building my friend, who grew up in Michigan, told me it wasn’t socially acceptable to wear a parka until after Thanksgiving. Guess this meant I had to pile on the sweatshirts and scarves until parka season began.

Parents weekend here is in early November. I think the University does this because it is gorgeous in Ann Arbor in early November, there are a bunch of leaves on the trees, all the leaves are changing colors, you can still see peoples faces when they are walking around campus because people who grew up in the Midwest have tolerance to 40 degree weather and don’t pile on the layers.

Two weeks after parents weekend my mom came back to Ann Arbor. She noted how much the scenery had changed. There were no longer leaves on the trees, and the town looked gloomy. That meant winter was coming.

I came back from Thanksgiving break and put my parka on. Wish me luck with winter. Updates to come, hopefully, if I make it out alive.