The joy of Autumn, to me, is rooted in the weather. I love those cold crisp days when you step on crunchy leaves and the wind whips your scarf around your neck, making you hold your pumpkin spice latte that bit tighter to warm up your hands. I love seeing the changing colours of the leaves, especially around campus, with the leaves going through the full spectrum from green, to gold, to red. Even when the rain beings to pour and we all start to complain about how horrid the weather is, I still love it. There is no cozier feeling than snuggling up in bed with the wind and rain howling outside, but knowing you are warm, safe and dry inside.
Autumn is also just a great excuse to do all the fun things like going to a pumpkin patch with your friends to take some super cute Insta pics. In Exeter you can head to Darts Farm or the Jolly Pumpkin – both are picturesque! Whilst you’re there, why not take some pics in the wheelbarrow, or when you find your first pumpkin that you want to take home? The Jolly Pumpkin also has some seriously cute photo ops from hay bales to a white picket fence. When picking out pumpkins, I like to go for ones that are really tall so I can get creative whilst carving, but I also like the ghost ones as a contrast. Just wishing I had a big porch to display them all on now! This year I bought some of the mini ones called munchkins (so cute!) to display inside the house.
Halloween, of course, is one of the main highlights of Autumn. It’s such a great time to celebrate with your friends because you can do it in so many ways. Whether you decide to go out for spooky cocktails, dress up and go clubbing, host a murder mystery or stay in and watch a bunch of movies, it’s the type of holiday that works for everyone. I’m much more of a ‘cozy’ Halloween fan than a scary one, so I will probably be spending the day carving my pumpkin and watching lots of non-scary films with my housemates. I’m talking Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic and the new Ghostbusters non-scary vibes! You can find me watching all of the above with a pumpkin spiced latte, spiced apple juice or hot chocolate, because why not lean into the full Autumnal ‘aesthetic’ Pinterest has taught me to love?!
Beyond Halloween is Bonfire Night. I think this is such an under-rated festival in the UK. Going to a big bonfire and watching the fireworks is so much fun, especially when you go with all your friends, but I also love the food. Jacket potatoes with crunchy coleslaws and campfire brownies are perfect. And it’s never too early to bring out the mulled apple juice! BBC Good Food and delicious. have some great recipes to inspire you.
Autumn is the coziest time of year with it’s traditional ‘Autumn aesthetic’. Christmas is just around the corner which is another of my favourite times of the year. While Christmas has a certain amount of pressure surrounding it, with gift giving, organising the ‘big day’ and general mayhem around the shops, Autumn doesn’t have that. It’s a nice transitional season, making it one of my favourites. Really, any excuse to dress up in jeans, jumpers and scarves with a pair of good boots makes me happy!