Tag: Snow

Waiting for Spring

Waiting for Spring

photo

Eventually the snow will melt and the vibrant colors from the green grass and flowers will bloom. I cannot wait for this time of the year to come as I am a little exhausted with the things winter currently does to people. With winter, comes slush, traffic jams, slush, overly sized puffy jackets, and more slush; getting up for school during the winter time can be hard without the sun’s appearance yet. Snow can look so beautiful, but the color of white can get tiring as it already is for me. I would love to see the warm, bright sun out more frequently to bring the students outside of their resident halls and hang around outside for a walk for crisp, fresh air.

I digress, that is just me daydreaming in Damen near a warm radiator. My first week of second semester went well as I was able to attend and enjoy all the classes I enrolled in. Luckily, I am fortunate to have friends in each class. With that being said, I know I can do better academically and relieve some of the tension I brought upon myself last semester when I did not know anyone in class. There is always room for improvement. I am not waiting for spring for that to happen, rather I start now because it is never too early or too late to be a better person for yourself and for others to see.

Surviving the Chicago Winter Weather

Surviving the Chicago Winter Weather

Finally, Chicago has gotten its first snow of the year! For some people, snow is the wonderful white blanket that shimmers on the street and for others, it is the irritating substance that falls out of the sky and must be shoveled off of roads, sidewalks, and cars. Besides snow, the temperature itself is getting colder and colder; by Wednesday or so, we are supposed to hit the single digits or even get below zero. Anyways, as a native born Chicagoan, I have experienced all of  Mother Nature’s doings thus far. I have learned a couple of things to get by with this extreme weather.

  • If you have to be somewhere at a given time, leave EARLY (like 30 minutes). Traffic on the streets are terrible when snow, slush, and cold temperatures are involved. Cars move slowly, pedestrians take extra caution walking across the streets, and no driver wants to be near the city truck that dispenses salt onto the street.
  • Dress with layers. Even though this is an obvious piece of advice, it is good to be reminded.
  • If you shovel snow now, things will be good. Clean up the sidewalk and driveway at any possible time! The more you procrastinate on this, the more difficult it is to clean it up later. The snow might freeze overnight!
  • Be nice to others. After shoveling and the feeling of being cold, it is common for people to not be in the best mood (especially in the morning). Even if you are not in the best mood, try not to carry that on towards others.

-Stay warm & have a wonderful day!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

IT’S SNOWING!

Is anyone as excited about this as I am? There could not have been a better surprise to walk outside to after a long day in the library than the east quad full of snow!

And not just flurry-do-nothing snow. Real, stick to the ground, make everything beautiful and white, snow!!

The snow as I was walking home from the library.
Choosing the Right City

Choosing the Right City

Throughout the travel season, I’ve noticed that quite a few students are applying to a wide array of schools. Applying to many schools can be a good way to keep your options open, but it can also be quite time consuming. I would recommend narrowing the list to save your self some time (and money if there are application fees, which Loyola does NOT have). One of the easiest ways to shorten the list, spend some time considering the city your school is located in and whether or not it’s a good fit for you.

Some things to consider about cities:

  • Distance- Is it the right distance from home? Are you looking to stay close by or do you want to move further away to get a new experience? What forms of transportation can you take to get back & forth? Will you be able to afford to commute home easily for holidays?
  • Weather/Climate- Are you looking for a city with all 4 seasons or just 1? Do you want a snowy winter? Do you want to be near a beach? (Loyola offers both of those options!)


  • Rural Life Vs. City Life- Are you looking to study in a small, rural town or do you want to experience fast-pace, city life? Are you looking for a quiet environment or are you okay with a little city noise?
  • Transit- Will you be able to easily commute to grocery stores, restaurants, etc? Do you need a car? How does parking work on campus? Can you rely on public transit to get around? Or is everything within walking distance? (At Loyola you can always rely on the CTA, Chicago Transit Authority, to get you around the city at no cost with your U-Pass!)
  • Diversity- How diverse is the campus & the neighborhood? Will you get a different experience from your hometown? What opportunities are there to explore different cultures, beliefs, etc.? (Loyola is in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, Rogers Park.)
  • Internship/Job Opportunities- Are there businesses nearby who will provide internship opportunities? How far will you have to commute for work? How far are you willing to commute for an internship or job? (Being in Chicago, Loyola is very close in proximity to uncountable internship & experiential learning opportunities.)

There’s no right or wrong answer to the questions listed above, they’re all things you need to consider and answer honestly for yourself when deciding if a college or city is a good fit for you.

Good Luck!

Home For The Weekend

Home For The Weekend

This past weekend I was able to take a trip home for a few relaxing days. I am not going home for spring break so this was a great opportunity to see my family and catch up with old friends. After only a 2.5 hour Amtrak train ride I was home!

We got a couple inches of fresh snow on Friday and Saturday and with the help of a sunny Sunday it was perfect snowman building conditions. Check out our incredibly tall snowman we built!

Our tall snowman!

Unfortunately, it only took about 30 minutes for the strong wind to knock him over 🙁 I guess I will need to give him more support next time!

Snow in Rome

Snow in Rome

One of the main reasons I was ecstatic for Rome was the fact that the weather is significally warmer than Chicago.  I packed a light jacket and a light pea coat, not even considering there could be any weather colder than maybe mid forty or fifty degrees. Little did I know that I would need a bigger jacket; there was snow coming!

This past weekend, as well as the weekend before, a huge snowstorm hit Rome.  Professors were saying that this is the worst snow Rome has had in about thirty years!  We had a snowday, because the professors couldn’t make it into class and we were also strongly encouraged to not leave the building.

The funny thing is, the snow wasn’t even that bad.  Italians just aren’t used to snow, so they had no idea how to react.  Also, using salt to melt the ice isn’t common here, so it was very slippery.  The whole city shut down. Busses and taxis stopped running and restaurants, cafes shut down.  It was impossible to get anywhere for a few days.

It was fun playing in the snow, even if it did seem significantly less than what I’m used to in my hometown (the snowbelt of Northeast Ohio).  It was cool to see my new friends from California experience their first snow; most of them had never experienced it!  Here’s a picture of the snow covering a vineyard in Tuscany (they got a lot more than Roma).

January 31

January 31

What do you think of when you think January 31 in Chicago? I generally picture snow, ice, cold and more snow.

Well it’s January 31 and we have zero snow, zero ice and zero cold. In fact, it is 56 degrees! Walking to class today in this weather gave me spring fever and made it hard to realize that we sill have over three months of class left.

It was only two days from now last year that we had the huge Chicago blizzard that left us with 15 inches of snow, temperatures below freezing and Loyola’s first official snow day in years.

Yet here we are today enjoying temperatures in the upper 50’s. I am not even concerned about grabbing my heavy-duty winter coat out of the closet anytime soon because the 10-day forecast does not have the temperature dropping belowing freezing during the day. It’s crazy!

Now, coming from Michigan and being a big skier, I normally would be bummed by such a warm, snowless winter. Being in college, however, is a different story. Walking to and from class is much better in the warm weather and not having to bundle up every time I want to get a meal, work out, or go to a friends residence hall is a big plus. For the first time in my life I’m siding with the radio jockeys and weathermen/women who complain about snow.

For all of you out there who are wishing we had more cold and more snow, I sympathize with you. A warm winter can be so disappointing and I am confident that after college I will be right there with you. Until then, however, I love and embrace this warm weather.

A picture of a car snowed in by Loyola's campus after the 2011 Blizzard
OC to Chicago

OC to Chicago

So the biggest question I always get being from Southern California, is why did I come to Chicago? Well I think it is time that people understand how much better Chicago is than the OC.

So, yes, I will be the first to agree that Southern California is beautiful, but have you really seen Chicago? Here is a list of the reasons that I think Chicago is better.

This is the view from my living room at home.

1. THE PEOPLE! The beach boys put it best when they said that the Midwestern girls just know how to make you feel alright. The people here are so nice and inviting. I have never spent a holiday while being in Chicago alone because someone is always there to embrace me.

2. THE CITY! Chicago is seriously one of the best skylines in the world. Not only that but when you are downtown it just feels right, it feels good to be surrounded by the people, the activities and the buildings.

3. THE WEATHER! Seriously, 70 degrees and sunny gets really boring and there is no better feeling for me than waking up to see that it is snowing and the ground is covered.

Ok fine this is not in Chicago, but still you get the point, I love the snow!

4. Who says I have to live far away from a major body of water? I moved from living on the Ocean to living on Lake Michigan.

This was my view last year, see the building on the left at the very end of the street, that is were I live now.

You can think what you want about California, but personally if I had to live anywhere in the world it would be right here in Chicago.

Weekend Lovin’ and Rambler Pride

Weekend Lovin’ and Rambler Pride

Hey there readers! We’re coming to the close of a great weekend here on campus. I’m grateful that I don’t have too much homework to do this Sunday evening after a tough first week of classes, but I still wish I had another day left before the start of this coming week.

There was a pretty big snowfall on campus on Friday night— it was beautiful!

This was the view from my apartment in Baumhart Hall on Loyola’s Water Tower Campus on Friday during the snowstorm. You can see the School of Communications building across the street, and a few pedestrians all bundled up trying to hide from the wind!

Because of a few big sports games on campus, this past week was dubbed Spirit Week— my friends and I cheered on the Loyola Ramblers on Friday night as the men’s volleyball team played Penn State, and then again on Saturday afternoon as Loyola played Indiana’s Butler University in men’s basketball. Both were great games to watch!

Men’s basketball game— Loyola Ramblers vs. Butler Bulldogs; Saturday, January 21st. It was a full house!

After the basketball game, we headed over to the New 400 Theater just north of the Lakeshore Campus to see Mark Wahlberg’s new movie Contraband. It was so great! I am a huge Marky Mark fan; if you like him and you liked The Italian Job, I definitely recommend Contraband.

After the movie we made our way back to campus to the Centennial Forum Student Union to the “Stuff-a-Wolf” event that was part of Spirit Week. Instead of the traditional Build-a-Bear, Loyola’s Department of Programming ((dop)) sponsored “Stuff-a-Wolf”, and had adorable wolf stuffed animals for us to make in honor of Loyola’s mascot, Lu Wolf.

A photo of all of us girls and our new stuffed Ramblers!

Later, with our wolves in hand, we took the Red Line back downtown to our residence hall on the Water Tower Campus and had a relaxing evening with some chick flicks and hot tea. (Another movie I saw for the first time this weekend— Crazy, Stupid, Love. So great!) All in all, it was a pretty fun-filled weekend. Definitely setting the semester off right, and now I’m very much looking forward to what the rest of the semester’s weekends have in store!

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Last week saw the first official snowfall in Chicago!

Not as excited as I am about this? We should consider ourselves lucky. Here in Chicago we had some big, wet flakes that did not stick to the ground. I got a text from my mom around 11:00am. It was a picture of my house back in Michigan with a blanket of snow over it!

There is nothing like snow to get you in the mood for Christmas. My friends and I finished our night with popcorn and the movie Elf. I love Christmas even more than I love snow. It is not yet Thanksgiving but I am definitely in the Christmas spirit.

My house in Michigan covered in snow!

Loyola's still green campus after the snow.