What would our year be without fall?
Whether it’s your favorite season or just another blip in time to you, fall has undoubtedly remained a superstar season for as long as time. It’s really the only season with holidays that almost everyone celebrates around the globe. People all over the world take to fall’s famous festivities: hayrides, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, apple picking, trick-or-treating, hosting Halloween parties…the list goes on. We feel that excitement creeping up when it’s time to finally dust off and bring out our favorite sweaters and Doc Martens. Watching trees transform from a rich green color to that beautiful amber shade that makes fall so special. We feel that first nip in the air and a child-like joy is brought back to us — almost instantaneously.
I think most can agree that fall is the time to reflect, slow down, and remain present amongst the chaos of our day-to-day lives. We don’t want to miss the sound of our heels crunching on a pile of leaves as we walk from class to class. The fun decorations we see on porches and front lawns as we drive past homes on our way home from work. There’s something about fall that coaxes you to slow down and do some introspection, and maybe it’s because we know that it’ll be over and gone before we know it.
So how do we make our fall intentional and purposeful to us individually? The answer is: there is no one right answer.
Fall looks different to every single person, even though the majority of us will probably end up going to a cider mill and/or carving pumpkins with our friends at some point this season. Though there isn’t a sure-fire method to having the “Best Fall of Your Life!”, there are so many ways you can experience a positive, uplifting, and thoughtful fall season this year.
use this time to start journaling (again?)
Take advantage of the cool, crisp air, and go outside with your journal. Bring a warm coffee (or iced, I don’t judge — I’m an iced-coffee-even-during-the-dead-of-winter girl myself) and a pen, and just sit down somewhere you feel comfortable. This doesn’t have to take place outside, especially if you are located somewhere that may make that difficult. Some of my favorite places to be in the fall are in cozy local coffee shops, the campus library, local bookstores, and in my living room, on the couch with a fluffy blanket.
You don’t have to be a writer to journal. The amazing thing about keeping journals is that they’re for your eyes only, so you don’t have to worry about your notes making sense to anyone else. If lists are more your style, jot down some of your smaller, minuscule goals for each fall month (October, November, December), or try writing down how you want to feel during those months (for example: I want to feel productive, motivated, confident, nostalgic). You could also use this time to reflect on your summer or your year as a whole.
If you’re new to journaling, there are a bunch of different articles written by other Her Campus authors that can help guide you through the process! Check out this article written by Meha Razdan: https://www.hercampus.com/wellness/beginner-journaling/
FIND A HOBBY THAT GROUNDS YOU
One thing about fall is its’ way of bringing up feelings of nostalgia for us. Are there any hobbies you used to enjoy as a child that you could get back to? They don’t have to be fall-related, but more so something that brings you peace (if it is fall-related, that’s great too!). When I was younger, I loved to read. I would start a book and be so invested that I’d take it down with me for dinner when it was time to eat with my family. I’d sit down, start reading, and one of my parents would usually ask me to set it aside for the time being. I always grudgingly obliged.
Now that I’m older, life has gotten a million times more hectic, and I feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to sit down and read (even though I know that’s not true). When I do actually set aside time to read a book, I always feel that joy creep back up, just like I’m 10 again. It’s also so calming and peaceful to sit in silence and focus on only one thing; the book and its’ characters (and whatever coffee I have next to me).
Maybe your hobby isn’t reading, though. It could be painting, drawing, biking, rollerskating, coloring, thrifting, knitting, dancing, photography, cooking, hiking, running, sewing, writing, pottery, filmmaking, origami, jewelry making, scrapbooking, gaming, volunteering — the choices are endless!
TRY NEW fall recipes
One of my favorite aspects of fall is the opportunity to make warm, festive, and tasty seasonal food. There are a few recipes I hold near and dear to my heart — especially the ones I grew up smelling out of the kitchen. With this year being my first year in my own apartment, I’m so excited to cook those recipes and enjoy them during the fall season, just like I used to. Here are some of my favorites!
Chicken and dumplings
Recipe: https://thenovicechefblog.com/crockpot-chicken-and-dumplings/
Roasted butternut squash soup
Recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/
Hungarian Goulash
Recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hungarian-goulash/
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Recipe: https://pinchofyum.com/sweet-potato-casserole
CHECK OUT OTHER FESTIVE FALL RECIPES HERE: https://www.hercampus.com/school/south-carolina/comforting-recipes-to-make-this-fall/
DESIGN AND CURATE YOUR FALL PINTEREST BOARDS
What is more peaceful than looking at pretty pictures? One of my favorite things to do in general is play around on Pinterest and organize boards according to my mood. But especially during the fall, there’s so much inspiration to gather on the app.
Since I’m an “aesthetics” kind of person and I pay close attention to design, I’ve curated my fall Pinterest boards in a way that symbolizes all of my different fall moods/aesthetics/styles — dark feminine, nostalgic Halloween, and the classic amber, calm, and peaceful fall.
No matter where it is this fall takes you, let your journey be guided by love, peace, desire, and liveliness. Spend time with people who make you feel good and uplift you. Go places that make you feel whole and excited. Devote your energy to things that resonate with you, whatever they may be.