Lately, nearly every time I leave my house, I find myself taking photos of the trees. Beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red line Buell Street, and the scenery fills me with awe every time. On weekends, my friends and I go as far as hiking local mountains to bask in the beauty of Vermont’s autumn landscape.
As we near the end of October and the weather starts to bite, these gorgeous leaves begin to fall to the ground, leaving the trees bare. What was once a photo full of warm colors slowly becomes a colder, less vibrant scene. It’s a natural transition that happens every year, yet I always find myself wishing the colorful leaves would stick around a little longer.
I recently came across something online explaining how autumn is the only season when we collectively celebrate things falling apart. I found this particularly inspiring. We spend weeks admiring the changing leaves, even though their changing colors signal the end of a life cycle. There’s something special about a season that makes us appreciate a process we might otherwise associate with death and loss.
Furthermore, it makes me think about how differently we approach change in our own lives. We celebrate the changing seasons, but often resist change when it happens to us. Why is it so easy to appreciate transformation in nature, but so difficult to embrace it in ourselves?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I approach the end of my college career. Graduation is getting closer, and with it comes one of the biggest transitions of my life. While I’m excited about what comes next, there’s also something intimidating about leaving behind the familiarity of college. I don’t know exactly what life will look like after graduation, but I’m trying to appreciate the uncertainty rather than fear it.
I have grown immensely throughout my college career, but that growth has required leaving behind old habits, relationships, and expectations. Not every change has been easy, and there are certainly things I miss about earlier chapters of my life. But I also recognize that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without those experiences.
As I prepare for another major transition, I’m trying to remind myself that change isn’t necessarily something to fear. Sometimes, it’s exactly what we need to grow. And as the last of the colorful leaves fall from the trees on Buell Street, I’m reminded that every season eventually comes to an end. I’ll certainly miss this chapter of my life, but I’m looking forward to seeing what the next one brings.