I’m from Russia and I feel comfortable when it’s cold. On the contrary, anything more than 23 C is killing me. So I have had to manage it as, unfortunately, winter is not coming in the foreseeable future and Washington has recently been too hot to survive.
First, go to the office and bring the sweater: it’s cold there. It’s also good for your skills development.
Second, find the nearest recreational center/pool. I found one, it’s just 15 minutes from home, completely free for local residents and it’s open-air, which is exciting to me personally.
Third, leave the city for a beach. It’s helpful not only because you’d stop suffering, but also it’s a nice way to make friend with your housemates or classmates. Road trips are fun, and cars have AC, too.
Forth, buy tickets to Alaska. Seriously, this is what I am doing right now. If Alaska seems too much, go to Boston – they keep saying it’s colder there.
Finally, go to Botanical Gardens. It’s free and it offers tropical plants to enjoy. Why there? Because the temperature there is even higher than outside, so after 15 minutes in the Garden you’ll change your opinion about being outside. Careful – drink a lot of water while inside.
So this first two weeks were full of new experiences and tries to adjust – and I feel we did it! Apart from good onboarding experience at my Host Organization and useful orientation at Atlas Corps, it was a pleasure to find interesting places while overcoming difficulties.
