I should do a blog post. I am going to NYC for a winter holiday. Every other time I have been to NYC was also during a winter holiday. I was freezing, shivering, and distinctly remember my beautiful cashmere long (heavy) coat DID NOTHING to help me from the cold. So, fully acknowledging my inability to retain heat and my living in Texas for over 90% of my life, this time around to avoid cold and/or soggy feet, shivering, and walking forever in heavy clothing: I decided to be super proactive. I really wanted to make the items in my closet work for me BUT I had been contacting friends from the NE US (who have been experiencing unusually harsh weather recently) and asked other Texans who have traveled recently or during winter and decided my clothing would either not be satisfactory OR in order to be satisfactory I would be bringing a lot. I want to minimize the amount of what I bring and also not wear too many layers that add weight. Walking around with 10lbs+ on the back gets exhausting. I did that in school. #NeverAgain if I can intentionally avoid it. Long story short: shopping my closet didn't work. As a native Texan who rarely goes somewhere with an ACTUAL winter I didn't have clothing with appropriate tech. My cold clothing works for Texas cold. I spent money upfront (and A LOT OF TIME for the boots) but I am at peace with my decisions. Why? Being miserable during a trip is terrible and fucks it up for everyone else, too. Like the time I lost my phone in Japan. Yea. You spend more time trying to find the thing(s) to make you comfortable, or that you lost, instead of fully enjoying the trip. Like extra shoes if yours break or get soaked or a waterproof jacket if it starts pouring. I will create a post on what I bought in hopes of helping other southern gals, but yea. My thermals as thin as they are, even rolled up, still take room. So I decided to buy a thicker (but lightweight jacket) that is warm, waterproof, has a hood, and has the pockets I originally hunted for even though it was a bit steeper than I would have liked. I don't have to do more layering this way. I plan on wearing two long sleeved base layers over a UNIQLO heattech bra top. I am all about eliminating a garment when I can! Bras take up a lot of space. The jacket doesn't explicitly say it is windproof... lol so we will see. 😂 Stay safe and warm out there, friends!