Only an extremist would say summer or winter is the best season. It’s too much of one thing—which can never end well. Everything in moderation is a good rule of thumb: too much food? Obesity. Too much sunlight? Skin cancer.
Okay, maybe I’m being a little too dramatic. But autumn is the absolute perfect combination of the best parts of the other seasons, and, of course, boasts its own unique charm, as well.
When I imagine my ideal morning, it’s fall. I wake up and feel warm between my covers, but am greeted by cool air when I hop out of bed. (Yes, I hop out of bed. I’m a morning person.) I drink coffee outside, where I can almost see my breath, but don’t feel cold because the blazing sun still warms my skin. It’s absolutely divine.
Fall at SLU fits my bill. Most obviously, the change of season provides respite from the humidity that characterizes and curses, St. Louis summers. Being able to take a deep breath of fresh air without feeling like I am drowning is preferable.
I am about to divulge a best-kept secret to you. To the few of you who have the same treasured study spot as me, I apologize for perhaps ruining the peace and quiet. The best place to study on all of SLU’s campus is the Cupples’ patio. It has a romantic air about it that motivates me to read Victorian literature. The flora is exquisite, but not over the top, and for most of the day, half of the patio is shaded and the other half is under the sun, so I stay comfortable.
No season compares to fall in the number of distinctive pastimes perfect for family or friends. Every year, I look forward to apple picking, carving pumpkins and corn mazes. I cannot explain the thrill of walking in circles through a corn maze for hours, but I love it. And it’s the best when the farm creates a cool design, like the Boy Scout logo or Abraham Lincoln’s profile! No other season has such fun activities for everyone exclusive to that season.
I can’t forget the autumn holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving. They are two of the best holidays for very different reasons. The excitement of Halloween comes with the anticipation: the costume, strategic planning to get the most and best candy (chocolate rather than raw sugar), watching scary movies or Hocus Pocus in your best friend’s basement and attending costume parties.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of the tradition. I run the 5K Turkey Trot with my family, listen to “Alice’s Restaurant” and eat obscene amounts of stuffing with the people I love most. Now, arguing against fall makes you seem like a jerk.
Another great part of fall is the freedom I have in choosing an outfit. Unless you are an indecisive person who feels overwhelmed by the notion of having more choices, you will agree with me. In the fall, you can wear shorts and a sweatshirt. You can wear jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt. If you are one of those people who has poor circulation, wearing jeans and a jacket is finally acceptable! Or, if you’re into this sort of thing, you can wear shorts and Uggs. My point is that all combinations of clothing pieces have free reign in fall.
Another enticement of fall is the Bath & Body Works fall product line. Hear me out! This fall, Bath & Body works released five different collections. The “Cider Lane” collection has five scents that appeal to the homemaker that wants home to smell like the outdoors. The “Halloween Boo-tique” collection (so cute!) includes scents like “Vampire Blood” and “Bat Bite.” This line caters to mothers teaching their 10-year-old sons to wash their hands “because it’s fun!” It also finds customer loyalty in those boys 10 years down the road, when they know they need to buy soap, and were dragged into the store by a female, but would never be caught dead buying “Cashmere Glow.”
Fall is the best because of its authenticity. Enjoy nature, be with those you care about, wear whatever the heck you want and don’t freak out when you have to stick your hand inside your pumpkin to pull out the pumpkin guts.
