By Kelty Jones / Columnist
Winter is winter, no matter the year. Everything from fashion to popular activities to holiday shopping has changed over the decades, and it can be easy to get lost among the many shopping guides of influencers, especially once school is out for the season. But when the post-exam feeling of freedom fades, you may find yourself marveling with a twinge of envy at the people who manage to effortlessly look put together in 20° weather while even venturing outside feels, to you, like an impossible task. Then, the post-exam exhaustion sinks in, and you may wonder what ever happened to the time when sitting by the fire and making paper snowflakes was enough to get you in the spirit of the season. But looking on the bright side, you will be reminded of the sheer number of friends you have when you open up social media to an array of far-away vacations or glitzy New Year’s Eve events that everyone else seems to have embarked on during their time away from the Hall. Well, never fear. Welcome to the TBT slash Gen Z Winter Break Starter Kit.
Photo Courtesy of Margaret Moore, Sophomore
For an old-fashioned experience, your kit starts with ice skates. While there may not be many frozen ponds in Nashville, there are plenty of ice rinks to visit if you want the experience of a snowy landscape and working up an appetite for hot cocoa. While nothing takes you back to the winters of antiquity quite like a group ice skating session, you may also find some comfort in dusting off some old recipes. Whether it’s passed down in the family or found in an old (but new to you) book at an antique sale, there’s just something about scrawled cursive handwriting on a sugar-and-butter-stained page that allows you to be part of something bigger than yourself, all the while, of course, eating a delicious berry pie in a fraction of the time it took you to make it. When the long day of skating and baking is done, find an old favorite book and get comfortable by the fireplace.
After a couple of days, you may feel the need to consider stepping away from your haven of a vintage winter to re-enter the “real” world. It’s understandable! To properly jump back in, you simply must try a puffer coat. The style is back from last winter and more versatile than ever. With a variety of options from different lengths to color and even to different levels of iridescence, a puffer coat is a classic staple for the months you’d rather not have to worry about looking too bundled up to be considered fashionable. Next, to give your hands a break after a long few weeks of furiously scribbling down history notes, treat yourself to a manicure. There seems to be no end to the types of gel designs and patterns one can adorn their nails with, so why not opt for a wintery theme and go with a shimmery white, blue, or clear with miniature snowflakes? The chilly gray sky’s the limit!
While the break should be a nice rest from incessant screen use, technology can be used to your advantage during the weeks when you miss your friends you no longer see every day in the pods or family you don’t have the time to call too often. It might be nice to be on a group call that doesn’t revolve around a collective lack of understanding of a homework assignment. Whatever sprinkles your pecan pie this winter, have a restful break of reflecting upon the past and living in the present.