The JV Experience: Facing Winter Head-On

The most dreaded time of year has come! Since I moved to Evanston, my friends and I always talked about winter time. We wanted, first, to understand the proper winter gear but were also curious about the possible activities this time of the year.

I was afraid of the winter since I have never lived in a place with such cold weather. I am from Brazil, and the lowest temperature there is 10°C (50°F)! But I must admit that it is not as bad as I had imagined.

I haven’t stopped hanging out with friends; we just change the locations. Before winter, it was more common to go to a restaurant or to do some outdoor activities, like walk in Chicago. Now, we do more indoor activities, like dinner at someone’s place or a coffee in Evanston in the middle of the day.

Besides this, I am also engaged in other activities. I’m working on the Latin America Business Conference, organizing a KWEST trip, auditing a Kellogg marketing course, taking English classes and, of course, writing this blog.

But the weather is not the only thing responsible for shifting activities here. January is an atypical month. Almost all Kellogg students are involved with recruiting, so they are stressed and hoping to land a job. Thus, most of the significant others are worried about the best ways to support their partners. Also during this time, many Joint Ventures are involved with the DAK organization, while other face the challenge of finding a job in the U.S.

Now that I know how the winter really is, I am not afraid of it anymore. Actually, I thinks it is beautiful to see the white landscape (snow is new to me)! I understand that, as the weather changes, my activities may also change, but I have managed to keep my routine working so far.

Thaleya Freitas is the Joint Venture of Felipe Godoy ’14. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Freitas worked at an advertising and event agency before moving to Evanston with her husband in 2012.