It’s that time of year when the debate on whether fall is the best or worst season is upon us. I know a lot of people who absolutely despise fall and swear they will be leaving New England for good after graduation. However, I know so many people who are in love with this weather. Personally, I love and hate it at the same time.
My favorite parts of fall are short-lived and fleeting. I love it when the leaves change color, especially here in Amherst, MA. From the 15th floor of my dorm in the Southwest Residential Area, I see all of UMASS and the colorful mountains in the background. I enjoy going for hikes and drives when the leaves are a variety of yellows, oranges and reds. I am obsessed with apple cider, caramel apples, and anything pumpkin — fall really has some of the best foods.
Apart from the beautiful scenery and delicious food, fall has the best two holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is my favorite holiday, As Cady Heron once said, “In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total sl*t and no other girls can say anything else about it.” It is so fun to dress up in cute costume themes with your best friends, especially in college, and doing matching couples costumes with your significant other. Thanksgiving has the best food, especially pumpkin pie (bonus points if it is pumpkin pie- cheesecake). I also love how I get to spend time with my family, I get to see all of my cousins and my grandparents. Going home for Thanksgiving break in college is so nostalgic and welcoming.
Despite all of the amazing reasons to love fall, it also sucks. The weather is so bi-polar, it’s freezing in the morning and then hot by the time you get out of your first class. Then as if overnight, it becomes 40 degrees every day, and it only goes down from there. I am not built for cold weather, despite growing up in upstate NY, I am always freezing. Once all the beautiful leaves fall, and the trees are barren, I no longer want to look out my window. The seasonal depression comes creeping in, making me less and less motivated to leave the comfort of my warm dorm room.
On the bright side, once fall is over, we are one more season closer to summer, the best season. I try to enjoy the most out of fall and to gaslight myself into tolerating winter. It’s almost time to buy more blankets and thick sweatshirts, fuzzy socks, and flannel shirts. No matter your relationship with the fall, it will be over soon enough, so enjoy what you will.
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