Tips For Staying Warm In Budapest
By Talia A. Dunyak, November 2018
With the dawn of winter, many in the CEU community are probably wondering: what are the best ways to stay warm in these cold winter months to follow? To help, I have compiled a list of perfectly useful (or possibly useless) tips for those new to the winter experience.
From the Inside Out. Of course, by this point in the semester, almost everyone has developed a proper caffeine addiction. Why not fully lean into this addiction and drink tea non-stop? I’ve heard a rumor that there are caffeine free varieties of such beverages, but I have yet to experience these first hand. However, if caffeine isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to check out the local cafes for a mug of hot chocolate or perhaps something decaf. Tea—and coffee—are, as you might already know, hot, and if I’ve learned anything in my short life thus far, it’s that heat is the best way to combat the cold.
From the Outside In. Although science says that mammals are warm blooded creatures, my blood—and everything else for that matter—doesn’t feel at all warm in the winter months. This is where the fantastic inventions of coats come in. Please, I beg of you, do not be that person who wears shorts on a December day. And actually, there is a good reason that people wear hats. Protect your brain. Luckily for you, most clothing and second-hand shops in Budapest sell all the necessary accoutrements—scarves, gloves, coats, hats—to protect yourself from the bitter cold.
Avoidance. The best way to not be cold is to not be outside. To avoid the cold, I suggest entering CEU’s campus through the Nador 9 door and snaking through the buildings to get to your desired Nador building classroom or office. Thankfully, CEU heats all their buildings, so once you are inside, you don’t have to worry about the cold. As for classrooms, make sure all the windows are closed, otherwise these smart classrooms won’t be so smart about turning the heat on. While inside, I suggest that you find your favorite nook to hideaway in and try to forget about how cold it is outside of the campus for as long as physically possible.
Acceptance. In the coming months, especially with the beginning of the Christmas Market season, there are some times where you have to accept defeat and enter the tundra that is Budapest in the winter. When you accept this frigid fate that has befallen you, I recommend bringing friends with you. Misery loves company, and if you have to be cold outside, do it with a group. Additionally, by being with friends, you will have the opportunity to warm up your soul, even if your toes start to freeze. A good attitude is half the battle in these sorts of scenarios, and with the help of a good friend, even the most impossible of tasks (forgetting about how cold it is) seems possible.
Dream. Visualize somewhere warmer. We all had that primary school teacher who was obsessed with visualization. If all else fails, avoid reality and imagine yourself somewhere warmer, like a desert or possibly a jungle. I can’t guarantee it, but there is the possibility that this will help you feel warmer, at least that’s what they told me in primary school. If it doesn’t help you feel warmer, it will at least occupy your mind, so you don’t have to think about how cold it is in Budapest at the moment. And who knows, maybe it’s warmer in Vienna? (Spoiler Alert: It’s not).
