You finally reach warmth. After an endless day of cold ears and chapped lips, you begin to peel off the layers of sweaters you’re happy you got for Christmas. Somewhere between unthawing and trying to figure out why you are so sweaty, you realize the rest of the day will consist of another evening avoiding the arctic cold. Have no fear – take this handy list of activities ranging from obvious to outrageous on how to beat the insanity of winter, a.k.a. Cabin Fever.
1. Become absurdly obsessed with a new favorite Netflix series
Ten dollars a month and accessible from the comfort of your own bed at any given time has never sounded, or felt, so good. Morgan Wilkins, senior in kinesiology, couldn’t imagine a day without Netflix.
“I don’t have to put on real pants to watch Netflix,” Wilkins said.
2. Go see a movie at the “Dollar Theater”
The Carmike 7 Theater off Cedar Bluff, affectionately referred to as “the dollar theater” by locals, offers the movie theater experience for a fraction of the normal cost. For $2.50 per ticket, you can go and see movies that have just recently been removed from theater showings. This week’s movies include: “Gone Girl,” “Dumb and Dumber Too” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
3. Try a new restaurant every weekend
Most of us are poor college students; however, there are plenty of places around Knoxville to get quality food for decent prices. Curious Dog in the Old City, Big Fatty’s on Kingston Pike, Pizza Palace off Magnolia Avenue and Dead End Barbeque off Sutherland Avenue are just a few Knoxville hometown favorites. Andrea Hankins, sophomore in education, looks forward to trying new places to eat on the weekends.
“It is an opportunity for my boyfriend and I to not only stay out of the cold,” Hankins said, “but to also keep dating fun and upbeat in such a lazy season.”
4. Engage in musical activities
Knoxville has a rapidly expanding music scene that gets better and better with every passing season. There is always a show being performed at one of the many venues such as the Tennessee Theatre, the Bijou Theatre, The Square Room, Pilot Light, Preservation Pub and Barley’s. Some of the music scene highlights for the next few months include: Moon Taxi at the Bijou Theater on Jan. 22, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors at the Bijou Theater from Feb. 13 to Feb. 14 and Fleetwood Mac at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 8.
5. Get your shop on
There is a growing sense of style in Knoxville, especially in the college crowd. To acclimate to the stylistic sensation of so many young people, boutiques have been spurting up everywhere, not to mention Market Square now has an Urban Outfitters. Whether you’re looking to spend money or just to keep yourself busy, shopping is a stimulating pass time. Parker Jenkins, senior sales associate and visual intern at Anthropologie, highly recommends escaping cabin fever to come visit the store.
“So many people use [Anthropologie] to escape and spend a couple of hours exploring and treating themselves to a new wardrobe, or even just a day of dress up,” Jenkins said.
6. Make it to the beach before sunset.
If all else fails, pile your car full of friends and head for the shores to see the sun rise. It’s an outrageous idea and definitely takes some spontaneity. Yet, if you haven’t already learned, college is about having outrageous ideas and following through with them.
