October always sneaks up on me, which I love and hate at the same time. One minute I’m sipping iced coffee in a summer outfit, and the next I’m wrapped up in a cozy blanket, clutching a pumpkin spice latte, wondering how midterms got here so fast. The air is colder, the days are shorter, and everything feels like it’s moving a little too quickly. Classes are picking up, group projects are piling up, and suddenly, we are all just trying to stay afloat.
But this past holiday weekend, I went home. And something shifted.
There is something about stepping into my familiar kitchen, hearing the hum of the dishwasher, and hugging someone who I have known my whole life. It reminded me that even in the chaos, there is calm. Even in the stress there is softness.
I found myself grateful for the little things that I normally overlook. The way my mom folds my laundry without saying anything. The way my dog greets me like I have been gone for years. The way my bedroom still looks with the same color I painted as a teenager.
Back on campus, I am trying to hold onto that feeling. Gratitude, I am learning, does not cancel out stress, it just gives context. It reminds me that I am not alone, that I am supported, and that there is beauty in the mundane.
So here is what I am grateful for this fall:
- My oversized sweater that feels like a hug
- My best friends sending me TikToks that make them think of me
- My audio book that gives me comfort while getting ready in the morning
- My playlist with newly added songs
- The leaves that crunch under my shoes on the way to class
- The quiet moments between everything else
Fall is a season of change, yes. But it is also a season of reflection. And this year, I am choosing to reflect with gratitude. To let myself feel overwhelmed, but also to feel joy. To notice the little things. To say thank you.
Because even in the midst of midterms, I am still loving fall.