Fallen brown leaves, chilly wind, scarfs, boots and everything pumpkin-spiced. These are some of the characteristics of the fall season, which takes place from around mid-September to mid-December here in Southern California. For UC Irvine sophomore Diana Cortez, fall does not just come around for those three months of the year—it is 365 days a year, every year and will continue to be so for the rest of her life. With fall being upon us, Diana expresses her fall enthusiasm through clothing, decorations and anything else she can get her hands on.
Diana’s love for fall has been a part of her for as long as she can remember, which makes the season a meaningful one in her life. “I don’t even know when this love for fall began. I think I was in the womb,” said Diana, jokingly. Growing up, she recalls wanting her room painted brown but it unfortunately never became a reality for her. She hopes that she can decorate her house in the future with different shades of brown to give it a cabin-like feeling. For now, she is happy with her fall decorated room at the campus apartment she is living at this year.
When asked about what she loved the most about the season, Diana hesitated and expressed that it was hard to choose one thing as her favorite. “It is not cold enough to stay indoors all the time and it is not too hot to go outside; it is the perfect weather because you can literally do anything,” said Diana after a minute of hesitation. With nice temperatures and beautiful scenery, it is understandable why she would feel that way about fall weather and why it makes her feel like she can do anything. Diana also mentioned that she loved the colors—especially the different shades of browns—and the way you could witness nature transform into something new.
The change that comes with fall is one of the many things Diana enjoys about the season. “I correlate fall with starting a new school year and starting fresh,” she said. Many people think of fall as the dying of nature, coming back to life in spring, but Diana sees fall as the opportunity for new beginning. It is a way for her to feel that she can start anew, not just academically but personally too. Diana loves the changing season and seeing the transformation, not only in the weather but also within her and the way that the season motivates her to try out new things and better herself.
When the fall season ends Diana knows it is time to say goodbye to falling leaves, browns and oranges, boots and all things beautifully fall. She still decorates and keeps the colors of fall around her and enjoys other seasons as they come and go, but none like she enjoys fall. Although the season may soon be over as winter comes around, she still implements fall in her personal life and waits patiently until it returns again.