The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and the Halloween countdown has begun. I may be biased saying that summer has come to an end because fall is one of my favorite seasons; however, that still doesn’t mean I don’t always miss summer. There are so many things that I hate to say goodbye to when summer comes to a close, such as endless beach days, trips to the closest ice cream parlor every night, and the feeling of just a little more freedom than we normally would have. These are all things that I want to hold on to for just a little while longer but I think we can all agree that when we can’t walk out of the house without long pants or a sweater, it’s officially fall in New England.
Alas, as you prepare for the transition to fall, I present you with a few ways I am coping with the end of summer and romanticizing the colder days to come…
Wardrobe Shift
I don’t know about you, but when it gets cold in New England, I am already breaking out the heavy sweatshirts and my warmest pair of sweatpants. I would argue that one of the great aspects of the change from summer to fall is the outfit changes. I love seeing how everyone pairs their favorite sweater with their new fun-colored jeans. The first change I make is emptying out the drawers. I then stare at my floor filled with every item of clothing I own and make dreaded decisions regarding what will stay and what has to go. Once I have parted ways with the old, it’s in with the new. I think it’s important to keep all of my warmer pieces to the front and top of my drawers to avoid the hassle of digging through and reorganizing my drawers every morning.
Refreshed Mindset
Arguably, the most important switch to the darker, colder days is preparing your mind. With the sun being out less, it’s really easy to fall into bad habits. I think many of you would agree when I say that the hardest part mentally is starting up school again. As students, we shut our brains off for a long few weeks and become so accustomed to doing things on our own time. To refresh before the beginning of a new school year I like to start a few days before with planning, scheduling, and organizing what’s to come. Additional steps to a refreshed mind include starting a comfort TV series, meditating, journaling, adopting new skin care routines, or changing a part of my look, possibly with a new haircut.
Filling my Calendar
During the sunny summer months, the weather is almost always ideal for a road trip or spending time outside with friends. I think one of the hardest things about the weather in the fall is that not every weekend is great for getting out and doing something festive. There are so many dark and dreary days that call for a good book and cozying up on the couch. By filling my calendar with daily coffee runs or fun weekend plans, I always have something to look forward to and it can really help make sure I don’t become a prisoner to the fall weather.