This weather story is brought to you by Ted Rogers, Alyssa Montalbano, and myself Emily Grund.

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There is an old Yankee saying that New England weather is, “Nine months of Winter followed by three months of damned poor sledding.” And while how warm this spring is going to be is still up for debate, the two snowstorms that walloped central Massachusetts in January and March are still being remembered. These blizzards shut down the University of Massachusetts Amherst for a day each; a situation that pleased nearly all students, but only some of the faculty.

The first storm hit the county area in the early hours of Wednesday, January 28^th. About five to eight inches of wet, heavy snow fell from 4 am to the early afternoon. In the Amherst area, the worst effects of the weather were limited to slick roads and closed schools- with some public schools and colleges receiving an extra half-day for clean up.

Elsewhere in Massachusetts, problems included a few power outages in Suffolk and Worcester counties and several car accidents in the Westfield area of the Massachusetts turnpike. State Police report that they lowered the speed limit on the turnpike to 40 miles per hours as a response.

Nationally, the storm took a far heavier toll. Before heading north, the snowstorm went through the southern and eastern states, laying down a sheet of ice across roads and causing power failures for up to 1 million customers. The blizzard is said to have caused more than 23 deaths nationwide.

The second snowstorm to hit Massachusetts went down on Monday, March 2^nd, dumping six to 12 inches of snow throughout the region. This was a classic example of a nor’easter system- a storm named after the trade winds bringing the tempest in. The snow delayed flights and buses in the New England area for most of the day. Other then a few icy roads and closed schools, however, the day was fairly uneventful.

After the snowstorm ended, the mercury plunged into the low 10s, creating icy roads. By Wednesday, the air temperature at Westover Air Reserve Base had reached an all-time low of three degrees Fahrenheit, beating a previous 1943 record by a degree.

This storm also had far reaching effects, with snow being seen as far down south as South Carolina. Pictures were captured of snow blanketing the US Capitol Building. As snowy conditions are rarely seen south of Pennsylvania, car accidents and a 15 mile long traffic jam were reported in North Carolina. More than 900 flights on the eastern seaboard were canceled.

These storms have also taken a toll on the already weak US economy. New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine reported that the storm could cost his state 2.5 to 7 million dollars. Closer to home, Chicopee Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said, “At $12,000 an inch, we are expecting to reach $1 million in costs,” for this season alone.

On the brighter side of things, the old saying that March, “comes in like a lion, out like a lamb,” is expected to hold true. Daytime temperatures are predicted to be in the mid to upper 50s for the next week, with a likely high of 62 degrees and sunny weather on Friday.

Seasickness has been a weakness of mine since I was a child. However, growing up in the coastal town of Rockport, MA it’s been hard to keep me off of boats. So I try different remedies : medications, watching the horizon, acupressure bracelets…sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, unfortunately my best option is to fall asleep. When they do, or when I miraculously escape it without treatment, sailing relaxes me, and the views are outstanding.

Last summer, while my brother was working on the Schooner Appledore III , I went for a sunset tour out of Rockport Harbor. The sixty-two-foot topsail schooner, with a maximum of twenty five passengers, held about ten the evening I went.  While others enjoyed the bar selection, I sat near the crew with my camera ready.

For my brother, Dan Grund, sailing has been a major way of how he has stayed in shape. As a child he started sailing at the Sandy Bay Yacht Club , then during his junior year of high school he participated in Class Afloat , an abroad program where students sail around the world. Since then, he has stayed an active sailor for work and pleasure aboard different boats.

Although my inability to conquer seasickness kept me from becoming a sailor, I’ve always seen it as a positive way to get outdoors and stay in shape for those who are comfortable at sea. The health benefits of physically sailing range from flexibility to muscle strength. For “cruisers” like me, the benefits of relaxation may be a large reason why people go on cruises for vacation, or at least the Appledore for an evening to watch the sunset.

If there is one thing I am most excited about for returning to Sicily this spring break, it is the seafood extravanganza. On Sunday, the Travel Writing and Photojournalism class goes to a local restaurant in Sferracavallo for a fourteen course seafood meal. While some may cringe at the thought, you must remember this is fresh fish cooked by Italians! How fresh? Take a look at this:

Trying new foods is an essential part of the travel experience. The course teacher  has his students sign an agreement form that they will at least try a bite of each meal we are offered. For some this is nerve racking, but you don’t have to twist my arm when it comes to food.

Seafood is also good for you. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are good for the heart. Don’t knock it till you try it, is what I like to say. However, if you’re still weary about fish, this brochure by the International Food Information Council gives suggestions on how to ease your way into a diet involving seafood.

Unless you’re allergic to shellfish, the seafood extravaganza is an adventure well worth trying.

Travel anxiety can come from all sorts of places for different people. Fear of flying, fear of language barriers, fear of homesickness. My travel anxiety comes from fear of forgetting something. I have had my fair share of traveling, so one would think by now I’d feel confident in knowing that even if I do forget something, I will most likely survive to tell the tale. However, as my second trip to Sicily nears, I feel just as anxious as my first.

Packing ahead of time can help calm those fears. I am currently the teaching assistant for Travel Writing and Photojournalism, and the teacher Rick Newton said he was already packed and suggested I do the same. He gives a packing list for his students, as well as a demo of all the traveling gadgets he’s collected over his twenty years of leading trips abroad. With so much experience, his list includes items that would be helpful to any traveler.

Another important factor to remember is security. Having your bag searched is another cause of travel anxiety. The Transportation Security Administration provides useful links for travelers in what they can and cannot bring in both carry-ons and checked luggage.

Keeping organized while packing is also key. Newton suggests Magellan’s Travel Supplies, which offers an array of useful and organizational travel products, as well as advice. The more you know about where you’re going will help you know what you need to bring.

The moral of this blog is, don’t let fear keep you from traveling. There are plenty of resources to help you prepare, and when all is said and done, once you get to where you’re going, most of those pre-trip anxieties will disappear.

After reading, watching, and viewing New York Times writer Matt Gross’s most recent Frugal Traveller: Frugal Venice, Family Style, I realized the importance of multimedia packages for travel stories. The written portion described the journey of Matt, his wife Jean, and six week old daughter Sasha travelling to Italy with a frugal budget. Though a bit lengthy, it was packed full with information. Any restaurant, hotel, city or museum was linked to a New York Times Travel Guide review, and helpful websites were linked directly to them. He also described each encounter with a local, to give a sense of the culture. Despite it being a play by play of his family trip, the details he shares would be useful to all travellers seeking Venice, whether or not you have a baby in tow.

The video was an important addition to the piece as it didn’t retell the story but instead showed proof of how he successfully travelled with his baby. From packing, to getting to the airport, from flying, to getting to the hotel, he showed his audience that travelling with a baby can be done, and can still be done frugally.

The photography also showed a different side to the story. Although it was scattered through out the written portion it was also viewable as a slideshow and gave visuals of some of the places he mentions in his piece. Without the multimedia aspect, the story alone wouldn’t have carried as much weight. Reading about a family trip may not spark everyones interest, but a video with a cute baby, and pictures regarding a potential travel destination will most likely get other readers attention.

As I get ready to travel to Sicily in two weeks as a teaching assistant for Travel Writing and Photojournalism, I hope to come back with a multimedia package that will inspire others to travel there. As Matt Gross did for frugal families, I hope to show traveling can be done for frugal students too.

Oh, February in New England. It can be rough when the temperature one day is fifty and then the next all that was melted is frozen back over. According to a winter storm warning from The Weather Channel another snow storm is bound to hit New Jersey, move up  through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and end in southern New Hampshire. With accumulation estimates from five to eight inches, ski fanatics maybe excited, but the shoveling population may not be so.

In order to avoid winter blues, including seasonal affective disorder, staying active is an important role. For those of us, such as myself, who have not gotten around to skiing but feel its a bit too late this season to start, boston.com has come up with a list to help us out. From snow tubing, to bird watching, to ice fishing author Kimberly Sherman finds a balance for all ages and lifestyles. She also blogs for the Boston.com travel blog, Globe-trotting, which gives ideas on getting out and having fun not just outdoors but also indoor events such as concerts and museums.

The difficult part about getting involved in winter activities is knowing where to start. I myself would be a bit intimidated trying to find resources on where and how to snow shoe.  Fortunately, activity groups are fairly easy to find and join so you can enjoy learning something new or improve skills with people of similar interests. At UMass, The Outing Club , a registered student organization, allows students to partake in as many or as little outings or meetings as they choose. From hiking to ice climbing, the group offers weekly adventures, and a gear locker to rent equipment if needed. A number of universities have similar clubs and encourage students to join and make friends while partaking in fun adventures.

So everyone grit your teeth while the snow falls tomorrow, then try your best to embrace it. It’s easy to fall into a slump and stay on the couch because it’s too cold outside, but keeping your body and mind active will not only make the winter pass quicker, it will also make you a healthier and overall more interesting person.

Anyone who has seen me try to function in a kitchen knows I need help. I’m 21 years old and still trying to figure out the mystery of cooking. Honestly, I think it comes down to feeling overwhelmed, because when I have followed through on a recipe it’s usually not too bad. But the fear of failure and the time wasted if I do keeps me paralyzed. So if you can relate, you will understand when I say that cooking is truly an adventure, hence this blog entry.

Just finishing an internship at FamilyFun Magazine, I saw a lot of recipes published that were easy enough for kids to cook. I am officially an adult, but definitely at kid cooking level. There is no harm in reading up on lessons meant for children if that is your ability level.

Another important factor is knowing what appliances, dishes, and ingredients to have around at all times. In the book College Cooking by Carle & Carle, they give a break down on what you need. On top of typical home cooking recipes they also feature theme party food. Despite there being hundreds of online resources, having an organized book can be more practical than bringing a laptop into a kitchen.

Lastly, if you can get through the basics, the most repeated advice from friends and family about cooking is experimenting. Just try it! A cooking blog called Elizabeth’s Cooking Experiments, who’s tag line is “Who says lawyers don’t have time to cook” , has an array of different ideas that you may not think of off hand. Sometimes the best combination of foods sound the weirdest. My favorite example and go to snack, that involves no cooking, is bananas with cheese. Call me crazy but it’s delicious!

In an attempt to improve my cooking skills, as well as a way to make Monday’s more bearable, a circle of friends and I have started to have family dinners with different themes each week. Last week I made tacos from my mom’s recipe and I am happy to say that everyone enjoyed them. When it comes to this topic I will say honestly: If I can do it, you can do it.

Now that the 787 billion dollar stimulus package has been passed by the Senate, it’s time to take a look at how it will affect your lifestyle. If you’re reading this blog, there is a good chance you’re interested in health, so I will try to break that part of the package down. 

What part of the package is going towards health care? 

A total of $137 billion is being distributed into different parts of health care. USA Today gives a useful breakdown of the entire package, more specifically in health:

• “$21 billion to provide a 60% subsidy of health care insurance premiums for the unemployed under the COBRA program 
• $87 billion to help states with Medicaid
•  $19 billion to modernize health information technology systems
•  $10 billion for health research and construction of National Institutes of Health facilities.”

In President Obama’s address to the nation yesterday, he announced that Congress passed the package and said he looked forward to  ”The work of modernizing our health care system, saving billions of dollars and countless lives.” The address can be watched here.

As mentioned in my last post, I recently went out dancing in New York City. Although it was informal and I made it all up as I went along, I can tell you honestly I left exhausted and my legs are sore today. I have always had a passion for dance and hope to take some classes this semester and share those experiences with you too. Last nights experience just goes to show that you can actually work out while partying, who knew?

At the Learn to Dance website, this article gives a breakdown of how dance helps you physically and socially as well as how to get started. The first benefit of burning calories explains why I left exhausted. Despite it being late at night, I could have burned up to 1600 hundred calories since “during a half hour of sustained dancing you can burn between 200 and 400 calories”. This of course is probably not true due to several factors on my part including not really knowing what I was doing. Nonetheless I at least burned a few while also enjoying the company of my friends.

According to “Let’s Dance To Health” written for AARP dancing can also reduce stress and build confidence. Since there are so many kinds of dance and an array of choices for music, dancing can be for anyone. At Fat Baby, a night club in the lower east side of NYC,  the DJ played music from several genres and several decades. This not only pleased the diverse crowd, but also inspired lots of different dance moves at different paces.

It may sound funny to say I got health benefits from going out on a Friday night, and maybe the physical results will be slim to none but mentally I can tell I relieved a great deal of stress and the memories I made were worth the adventure.

On pretty short notice, I decided to go to New York City for President’s Day weekend. I have a handful of friends willing to take me in and I thought a break from Amherst would do me good, especially being a single girl on Valentine’s Day. Turns out there are some great benefits of taking a few days off and going somewhere. This is what I mean by a healthy dose of adventure. I am not an extremist by any means, yes I have gone skydiving, but in general an adventure to me is doing anything different out of my usual routine that brings excitement to my life (e.g. a small road trip to NYC). I haven’t even been here twenty-four hours yet but I already feel significantly happier and relaxed.

According to an article from  The Travel Industry Association there are physical benefits to traveling, even for just a few days, such as a decline in “blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of epinephrine – a stress hormone.” According to their studies traveling or vacationing can also improve your relationships, work productivity and cut your chances of having a heart attack in half.

Another article written by stress management specialist Eddie Chandler explains the mental health benefits of traveling. The point I relate to most is “you’ll avoid monotony”. All his points relate back to this, since while traveling you meet new people, try new food, try new things, and see new sights therefore creating new memories and avoiding monotony. So far I have met so many new people, tried some delicious food, taken in the beautiful sights of New York City lights, and danced my heart out.

Now I will continue on my adventure, and return to Amherst feeling refreshed and happy with my new experiences.