It’s officially October, and the fall foliage is turning up as the temperature begins to drop while coffee shops are introducing their staple autumn drinks.
Some people love the new season for a few weeks while some people dread it as the summer heat fades away and the daytime becomes shorter. Nonetheless, fall is my favorite season – even more so than summer. Maybe you’re surprised, or maybe you agree with me, but I’ll explain why either way.
Summer is tolerable for a few days, but once it gets so hot that you have to go inside and blast the air conditioning, then what is the point?
I can go to the beach, but it’s crowded and the sand gets everywhere. What can the average person do besides read on their beach blanket, tan, swim for a few minutes and build a sand castle if you’re feeling like a kid again?
I’m not trying to bash summer because I love some aspects of it – the sun setting late, the summer rain and having a little vacation somewhere tropical, so long as my bank account permits it.
Even so, none of these summer activities or benefits outweigh the feeling I get from autumn. Not to mention, it’s pumpkin and apple-picking season! With newly picked fruit, you can bake pies, cookies, tarts, cakes, breads and muffins. Or, if you want to go savory, you can cook chilis and soups and season your apples to be a side for chicken or pork chops.
Aside from learning new dishes or making traditional ones on your own or with family and friends, the activities in the fall seem to be endless compared to your average beach trip. You can go hiking at local and national parks as the season changes or even enjoy some football. I personally love attending fall festivals with rides, live music, food, events and often small businesses connecting with their community.
Last but not least: fall is spooky season! From horror movies to haunted houses and corn mazes, the fun and adrenaline rush that fall brings is always exciting. Halloween is just around the corner, and with it, yards are filled with decorations including skeletons, fake graveyards and pumpkins. And who can forget trick-or-treating when thinking about Halloween?
Even though we’re in college, we can still trick or treat, right? Maybe it’s our turn to start giving out candy instead of receiving it, but the smiles on those kids’ faces are just as sweet and satisfying to me as candy.
After Halloween, guess what’s next? Thanksgiving! The season just keeps on bringing more to the table just when you think it’s done. It seems the fall has the power to bring people together. If you’re anything like me, there is absolutely nothing better than grandma’s cooking on this holiday and sharing a feast with loved ones.
Long story short, autumn is the best season, and if you think you can convince me otherwise, I would love to hear it. For now, I’ll just put on my boots, my comfy and stylish fall sweater and sip on my iced coffee since that’s what New Englanders do when it’s already 40 degrees.