How to survive a Midwest winter

Whenever I hear someone say it’s their first Chicago or midwest winter, I smile. They usually have a confused and scared look on their face and it’s so adorable, I want to hug them.

Because (depending where they’re coming from) they should be afraid.

No sh*t.

The east coast may have 32 inches of snow but Midwest winters are nothing to f*ck around with. If you’re not ready, it will cut you down like a tree and the winds will slap your face like you’re a red-headed stepchild. WHAP!

So, to help my fellow non-Midwesteners or Chicagoans, I’ve made a list of how to survive winter:

• Invest in a good coat. Yes, it’s expensive and you feel ridiculous (aka Stay Puft Marshmallow Man,) but when it’s zero degrees outside with a wind chill, you will be glad you have it
• Get a good pair of boots (Uggs or otherwise). It snows in Chicago, sometimes a lot, and you will have to go to work no matter what because snow days don’t exist (sad but true). So get boots that will keep you warm
• Don’t worry about looking cute. The phrase around here is, “it’s better to be warm than look cute.” Trust me, no one is judging
• Embrace it. It’s okay to complain about the cold but go with it because a) it’s not getting better right away and b) everyone else is cold right along with you
• Get outside! It’s easy to hibernate and never go outside but make yourself do it. The fresh air (while cold) still feels good
• Find fun stuff to do in winter. Holiday time in Chicago is one of my favorites because there is great things going on. This will help you achieve the previous bullet of getting the h*ll out of the house

So those are my tips, what about you? How do you survive winter?