By Murphy Obershaw, A&E Editor
Fall officially started on Monday, and I can already tell that the pumpkin spice vibes are kicking in.
Fall is my favorite season for a few reasons:
Sweater weather
Autumn is the season for all things cozy and warm. Typical fall clothes include sweaters, sweatshirts, cardigans, pants, boots, scarves, hats and gloves. During fall, you can wear these comfy clothes that’ll keep you warm as the temperature outside starts to drop or if you have class in frigid Eck.
I usually just dress in a T-shirt and sporty shorts during the summer, so I appreciate that I can dress a little cuter in the fall. I am definitely not the most fashionable person in the world, but I have some cute fall clothes and accessories.
My most iconic fall outfits include elements such as my red or black cardigan worn with a graphic tee, a sweatshirt worn under my brown leather jacket, my black ankle high boots, my Doctor Who scarf, my Jigglypuff beanie, jeans and my red pants. I like pants that are colored differently than the typical blue, black, tan or navy, so this year, I will also be debuting new green pants and plaid pants, as well as a new Totoro beanie.
Fall flavors
There are a few different flavors and foods that are assigned to fall.
Pumpkin spice is the most popular. I am not a fan of all the pumpkin spice stuff myself, but I did just accidentally buy some pumpkin spice Clif Bars that taste good. Many coffee shops and grocery stores carry pumpkin spice items, so if it is your thing, you will be able to find pumpkin spice coffee, cakes, pies, cookies, bread, etc. at those places.
The fall flavor I like most is apple/apple cinnamon. From candy to pies to the fruit itself, apples are always a tasty treat. I am not a big fan of apple cider, but I know a lot of people like that too.
One fall flavor people don’t normally think about is honey. Honey is used not only in tea, but it is also present in my favorite fall candy: candy corn.
Fall foods such as chili and beverages like hot chocolate and tea are also favorites of mine.
Fall activities
I may be an adult, but I still think one of the best fall activities is raking up leaves and jumping into the piles.
It is also nice to just take a walk outside in the cool air and look at the leaves changing colors. The reds, yellows, oranges and even browns of the falling leaves are so beautiful and fun to crunch under your boots.
Even if you don’t go for a walk, hanging out by a bonfire with your friends (at a six foot distance) and eating chili is another fun way to experience nature.
One activity some of my friends like to do is visiting pumpkin patches. Picking out pumpkins, taking wagon rides and navigating mazes are some of the features at pumpkin patches.
Spooky time
Stores are already putting out their costumes and decorations, so I have definitely been feeling the spooky vibes even though it’s not October yet.
As I have gotten older, I have realized that Halloween can be celebrated in two different ways. It can be filled with Disney channel movies, pumpkins and black cats with big eyes and big smiles, fun costumes and candy, or it can be filled with horror movies, fake blood, Michael Myers masks and booze. Halloween in college seems to be more like the latter while I prefer the former (though I may have a drink to celebrate because I am old enough).
I am not a fan of the horror genre, so I don’t like getting into that side of Halloween. I still like Halloween, though, because I love dressing up in costumes, painting or carving pumpkins, buying the happy spooky decorations and eating candy. I just wish it was more like that instead of the scary side.
Fall is great for many reasons, but as the weather gets colder, remember to keep yourself warm, get a flu shot and take precautions to keep yourself and others safe as you celebrate this season. Happy fall.
PHOTO: Courtesy Photo, unsplash.com
