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College Survival Guide: Jim McGuinn on Surviving the Winter

Posted at 3:30 PM on September 5, 2011 by The Current (1 Comments)

Driving from Chicago to St. Paul in January 2009, my family and I learned one thing on the six-hour trip: The thermometer in the Prius COULD read double digit negative temps!

As -5 turned to -10 somewhere near the Dells, then to -15 when we rolled into town, we began to wonder - would our spit freeze? Would it burn to breathe in air this cold? Would we go crazy as shut-ins for the next three months? Would our son lick a pole and rip out his tongue?

Thankfully, none of those things happened. We learned how to survive the winter in Minnesota. We are now card-carrying flag wavers for the state, telling our friends elsewhere what we love about the art, music, food, lakes and people here. I haven't quite built up the nerve to tattoo a map on my bicep yet, but there's still time, right? You betcha!

So how do you do it? Everyone who has made the transition to a Minnesotan probably tells a different story ("I only survived by gnawing off my brother's arm after we got caught in that bear trap"), but my guess is that they all include some of these pointers.

1. Buy a parka. And snowpants. And warm boots. Sure, locals will mock you, but there's no sense in suffering while you wait for your blood to thicken during your first winter here.

Before moving, I had bought an arctic parka - it enabled me to survive those days of -15 below waiting for the bus. During my first year here I probably broke that puppy out anytime it was under 20 (ie most of the winter), now I only need it when we get below zero. Shockingly, you do get used to the cold, and in time you'll think a reading on the thermometer of 12 or 15 is not bad. Even though it is. Which is why you must ...

2. Embrace the cold. Laugh at it. Mock the wind. Do whatever you need to do to push through the winter.

Yes, it's cold. Really cold. Frickin' ridiculous cold. "Why would anyone ever want to live here?" cold. But you can't let that get in your way. If you sit home alone pining for a warm climate, you are doomed to hate your time here all winter.

On the other hand, if you put on that parka and go sledding or skiing or ice skating, or walk around a lake or stumble into a bear (OK, maybe that last part is an exaggeration), you'll feel better. You will have conquered the cold and not let it stop you. You will be engaged in the Cities and part of what makes us special: that we actually put up with this frigidity for half the year. This shared suffering makes it a lot easier to ...

3. Make Friends. Many people who arrive in Minnesota have a hard time cuddling up to the natives. It's true that there is a tendency to be surrounded by lifelong cliques among those who never left or left and came back. But then there is that Minnesota Nice thing that will enable you to crack the code — and, if you're at a college, chances are there are others who share your wonder at the fact that people actually grew up at this latitude and stayed.

My family met a few other transplant newbies within a few months of arriving. For the past two years we've had a weekly hang at a St. Paul pizza place, where the staff knows us by name and we are able to pretty quickly build deep friendships. Having new pals has made it more interesting and fun to ...

4. Try new things. I hadn't sledded since about age 7, but for $10 you can pick up a plastic cruiser and haul ass down some hills, which it turns out is a total blast at any age. First winter here we started sledding. Second winter we did some cross country skiing.

It's odd to sweat like crazy when it's 8 degrees, but cross country does that to you — it's a great workout and fun to swoosh on a trail. It's also pretty cheap to rent gear if you're just getting started, and there's really no learning curve like with snowboarding or downhill.

Third winter we all got skates and started skating and even playing pickup hockey games at rec center rinks. There are few things that make you feel more Minnesotan than tossing in your stick to chose sides, even if you are the slowest skater on the ice.

Besides the outdoor activities (maybe this will be my year to try ice fishing), there's so much to do around the Twin Cities, and while you might not want to use a gorgeous fall Saturday to hit that museum/shop/theatre/bowling alley, make a list of things that look like they might be cool, and do 'em in the winter. We've got lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and winter is the best time to try out that dive bar, second hand boutique or used record store you haven't had time to go to in the fall. Speaking of record stores ...

5. Explore Minnesota Music. I've lived in a bunch of cities, but never seen a place with a more vibrant music community. With tremendous artists, great venues, record stores, press, radio and fans, Minneapolis is a mecca for music. Grab your new friends, tune in to 89.3 The Current, check out the listings in the Onion, put on your parka, go to the Fetus and see what's stickered "Minneconomy," and get to a club.

We're pretty far away from anywhere else, and it's kinda cold in the winter. So we learn how to make our own fun. When we're not out sledding, a huge percentage of TC residents are forming bands, bashing out new sounds in basements and only coming up for air to go gig or see their friend's band's gigs. Everyone you meet is either in a band or knows someone else who is. We're not waiting for "American Idol" to come save us, we make our own music here. The sooner you join the party, the more fun you're gonna have.

Of course, sometimes the cold is more than inspiring, it literally drives you crazy. So even though you'll probably survive here with your new friends, warm parka, local music and ice skates, to keep your sanity, you should try to ...

6. Thaw out. Get the hell out of here at some point. Otherwise, you do kind of go nuts. Snow is cute in October, kind of novel in November, and the holidays are lovely with a nice blanket of snow, right? But come January, and your brain starts to freak out.

It's so worth it, even if you can only afford a long weekend in Texas or Florida or Arizona. Heck, even Chicago has average temps 10 degrees higher than Minnesota in January — something I didn't learn till the day after I agreed to move here. So look at the calendar, pick the long weekend that works for you and buy the plane tix — just do it. Book it now in September. You'll thank me later. And you won't believe how great 64 degrees feels after you've spend a few weeks below zero.

But if you are like me, once you recognize your own un-sleeved flesh, you'll look around and realize that... most of those places you go to get warm are really lame. People aren't that friendly or smart, and god knows the beer and music in AZ or FL or TX has got nothing on us (Austin's an exception). Which makes it easier to ...

7. Love Minnesota for what it is: A frozen tundra where the earth is covered in snow for 5 months. Sure, but it's our special frozen tundra, and there is so much happening here despite the cold. In time, you'll learn to appreciate the music, beer, people, culture and food. 'Cause seriously, they're the only things that keep us from going completely insane living here. Until spring.

Comments (1)

Fantastic post and advice! I came here for law school in 2006 and I love this place! Don't plan to ever leave.

Posted by Suzannne | September 23, 2011 5:27 PM

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