Last summer, as I prepared to leave the humid warmth of Florida for the frigid climes of New England, I spent many hours scrolling through lists entitled “What to Pack for Boarding School.” Furry boots? Check. Puffer jacket? Check. Warm blankets and gloves? Check and check again. Mini fridge? Definitely not, I thought to myself, remembering the distinctive blue and white “Ice Alert'' notifications that would pop up on my phone whenever I checked the weather in Concord, New Hampshire. In the bitter cold of New Hampshire winters, I saw myself clutching steamy mugs of hot coffee and hot chocolate; cold drinks and snacks were the last things on my mind. I realized just how wrong I was when I arrived on campus to sweltering late summer heat and a broken fan.
After my first day trekking 10,000 steps on our 2,000-acre campus, I was ready to stock the common room fridge with an assortment of refreshing drinks. Everyone else clearly had the same idea, as within the first week, the shared fridge in the common room was so stuffed it would barely close. Sodas, energy drinks, and water bottles shared space with mysterious packages with unknown scents. Packed with other people's groceries and with every new opening of space filling up within minutes, I couldn't fit anything of mine into the fridge. As for ice, there was never a single ice cube left inside the freezer. I convinced myself that my desire for fridge space would pass soon, and figured that in the wintertime my need for cold drinks would abate.
Unfortunately, it turns out that at St. Paul’s we like to heat our dorms and classrooms to tropical extremes and cool drinks are always a necessity. However, it wasn’t just the refreshments I was missing out on. I noticed some of my dorm mates never emerged with puffy eyes like mine from late-night study sessions. Poking around for answers, the secret was revealed to me by Fourth Former Claire Lee, who looked at me sympathetically as she revealed that she stores her skincare essentials in her fridge as well as her assorted refreshments. “Face masks are the best,” she shared enthusiastically. “Also, the mini globes that you can massage across your face depuff my skin every morning. It keeps my face cream nice too. Even though it takes up room, I think it’s worth it,” she went on to say.
My regret is real and the decision is clear. As Fourth Former Caroline Rogers declares emphatically: “I wish I had a minifridge, and I will definitely be buying one for next year.” Even with the freezing temperatures that St. Paul's faces, it is clear that a minifridge manages to serve purpose and usefulness throughout every season. Whether I’ll use it for skincare, food or drinks, I know that I will definitely not be missing out on a minifridge when I come back to school in the fall.