The time has come, while it is still doesn’t feel like fall in Arizona at the moment; I can tell by the seasonal rotation at Trader Joe’s, the cold morning air, and the coffee shops baked goods. Small things that you might not fully realize are changing around you, but the small things can have the most impact. For instance, all the other months throughout the year, I wait until mid-September when Trader Joe’s re-releases their pumpkin butter and pumpkin bread. Coming home from a day of classes or work, getting into my PJs, and making a tin of pumpkin bread while catching up on Sex and the City. Having special moments like this can make it feel magical and sentimental, making fall unique to you. Especially making new traditions heading into college, for instance, I love having or attending a Halloween with my friends on campus and bringing fall leave tortilla chips, or pumpkin cookies, and sipping on cider or chai.
New music
I love finding Spotify playlists and discovering new songs that fit the weather, upbeat, jazz, or even pop. I feel like it is so incredibly easy to find an artist you have never heard of before, and relax, work on hobbies, or journal without planning or curating what the next song should be. Having background noise can work with the ambiance of the scented candles, dim lighting, and the cool breeze in your room as you sit around doing the activities you love.
Movies
I love rewatching movies, for some that might bore you; however, I love scrolling through Letterboxd, seeing what the new upcoming films are, and maybe stumbling upon ones I’ve never seen before. I love this because it has caused me and my friends to go see the newest Conjuring film in theaters, and several of them had never seen the past ones, so we did a marathon of the past couple of films. I love rating the films I’ve watched and getting inspiration for films that would bring me comfort or scare me. I love cosying up on my green couch, yes, you heard green! Drinking hot cider in my black fuzzy socks and getting lulled to sleep before my early morning classes.
embracing tradition
Going to a local coffee shop and trying their pumpkin spice latte, going out on Halloweekend, or joining a book club can all be things that don’t need to be a one-time thing. I just recently had my first book club meeting with some of my friends on campus. We all sat down and discussed things that we liked and disliked about the book. I think one expectation we have as a society is that everything needs to be perfect. We overhype things, and when the moment comes, it may not be exactly what you expect. I love trying to live things in the moment and not overthink how things are going to go, or I’ll never do it. So join that club on campus, go get yourself that seasonal drink, and go out on Halloweekend because it may not be what you expect, but it is important to embrace new things. You might discover something you really enjoy and meet people you would never expect to come into your life.