Dear Rebecca,

I’m in Silliman, and my boyfriend lives in Pierson. In this weather, I can barely be outside for 10 minutes without freezing (and it’s an 11-minute walk)! Will our relationship be able to weather this weather?

Sincerely,

Not D for the LDR

Dear Not D,

I can see how you’d be worried about your relationship. But I don’t think you need to be! Winter is the perfect time for cuddling up with your honey, and a long trek across campus will only make diving into their warm embrace even more enjoyable.

So, how can you deal with the New Haven winter when it is trying to keep you from the one you love? It’s simple: Invest in proper attire. Just this year I bought a new longer coat, and those few inches of fabric falling below my butt make such a difference. On this campus, only one brand seems to make the cut: Canada Goose … So I guess those must be good? No matter your choice of outerwear, be sure to layer up underneath. Nothing says “I just can’t wait to rip your clothes off” like actually peeling off three shirts and two pairs of pants when you finally reach Pierson.

Once your core is warm, tackle your extremities. Buy some great wool socks and mittens.

Then, all you have to do is look on the bright side. Last night I had drinks with a friend who commutes to her boyfriend in New Rochelle a few times a month. So while you might be afraid of the weather, at least you don’t have to deal with MetroNorth to make it to your boo.

And if you really can’t handle the cold, don’t worry: Valentine’s Day is just two weeks away, and you can break up with him right after.

Yours in mittens and boots,

Rebecca

Dear Rebecca,

A few times a week, a group of friends and I get together to hang out, but we’re running out of activities and the semester just started. Can you help us come up some nice things to do in the evening?

Sincerely,

Bad Idea Brad

Dear Bad,

First of all, I wonder why you and your so-called “friends” hang out a few times a week if you can’t ever come up with fun ways to spend your time. Maybe you need to find some friends with whom you share some mutual interests! Or freeload on some people who actually do interesting things.

But really, if you’re set on spending your nights with this crew, I’m the right person to answer this question. I spend a lot of time coming up with things to do on Thursday nights. Here are three ideas that your friends are bound to love:

1) Plan, train for and run a 5K race. If you’re trying to get back in shape after the shopping period workout craze has ended, try setting a fitness goal. It is especially fun to do this with friends! One person can come up with the playlist; another can choose the route. You can even buy matching outfits! (But if you pick this option you’re going to have to forgo your late-night Wenzel.)

2) Build sculptures with beeswax. You can find bars of hard, colored beeswax at craft stores, I think. Then, let everyone pick a color and soften the wax with their warm hands. You can trade little bits to share colors and build sculptures! Once you’re done, you can send what you’ve made to your mom or give it to a friend (after you’ve instagrammed it, of course). A word of caution, though: Don’t be the kid who eats the beeswax. It’s just not that good.

3) Have a mock wedding. Assign everyone a role (e.g. bride, groom, unemployed uncle, incestuous cousins, brother everyone thought had died) and then hold a pretend wedding, just like you did in kindergarten. Only this time the booze can be real and the couple same-sex. Be sure to typecast.

4) Tell each other your life stories. You can cook dinner and bring pictures, and spend a few hours contemplating the meaning of your first kiss. Maybe even Skype your parents and dog! This option is my personal favorite, because no one can tell their life story in less than four hours.

If none of these ideas appeal to you, you could always resort to these tried and true classics: bowling, skinny dipping, going to someone’s performance, making up trivia games about each other, eating that giant Frisbee of ice cream at Ashley’s. Or just anything, really, with the addition of a handle of vodka or a case of beer.

Trying to come up with next Thursday’s activity,

Rebecca

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