Every year on the 22nd of September, regardless of my mood or extenuating circumstances of my mundane livelihood , I am filled with an abundance of joy solely due to the fact that it is officially autumn. Arguably the best time of year, autumn brings so many wonderful things that create an overwhelming sense of comfort and security; even when I need a new job, a car, and to figure out a million and one other things. So today, in the spirit of the leaves I thought I’d share a combination of my favorite fall things accompanied by my selfish desires that come every fall and make colder months feel warmer! Grab a drink, and let’s get cozy.
As cliche as it may be, fall truthfully is my favorite time of year because of Halloween, but beyond that (which we will discuss in a blog coming very soon) fall holds so many memories and nostalgia for me, and with that comes tradition; one thing about me is I am a sucker for traditions. As I’ve gotten older a lot of my family has slowly fizzled out, but every now and again we find time to make them happen, like carving pumpkins even though everyone hates it and it makes a mess. When I was younger my sister and I would go to my grandma’s house to make apple pie from scratch, she had the coolest apple peeler ever. We’d go to the Cider Mill for donuts and cider slushies, and the farm for apples and pumpkins. My mom and I decorated the house together and then she rearranged everything when I left the room. I am a creature of habit, so without fail every fall I instinctively shift my personality to reflect the season. I change my coffee order from a cold brew to a dirty chai, I stop whatever show I’m watching and restart Gilmore Girls, I change my lotion and perfumes from vanilla to mahogany, I trade in my sambas for black boots, and my music from brat summer pop to Ethel Cain (no exceptions). I strictly watch horror movies, rom coms, or binge-watch Twilight, with the occasional Harry Potter binges only when it’s on cable. Every Halloween I find myself in a different city while my parents have some kind of party back at home. Of course we can’t forget blackout Wednesday, where without fail I blackout every single time. Then there’s Bill’s games and fall festivals, friend’s birthdays, and family dinners, and before you know it the crunch of leaves under your feet turns to snow and your moms asking what you want for Christmas. Time flies really fast in these colder months and lots of things change as you outgrow old habits and traditions, but one that’s always stuck that I look forward to every Thanksgiving is staying home with my family. It may sound obvious or even silly, but when I was a kid my dad made me promise that I’d stay home with him and my mom (and sister) every Thanksgiving. When I was younger I thought, well no duh obviously I’d stay home, I live there where else I would go, but now it’s become something far more important to me than just a promise. I guess the real reason I love autumn so much, beyond habits and holidays, is the sense of comfort and gratitude it brings me each time it rolls back around.
New Year’s Eve is commonly used for people to get their lives back on track and start new resolutions to better themselves, however I have never once made a resolution in January and stuck with it come September. I think it’s really challenging to expect yourself to stay consistent at something if it’s not something you truly desire, beyond altering aesthetics. I typically make myself a small set of goals at the beginning of each season to hopefully accomplish the next, for example at the beginning of the year when winter slowly turned to spring I made a goal to start this blog. It is now September and I’ve published 31 blog posts on my very own site. This is the first fall that I’m not back in school, so my goals have shifted quite a bit, and adjusting to life without the crutch of college isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, yet it is lonelier. Typically autumn comes with the dread of back-to-school season, but I always enjoyed getting back into a routine; like I said before I’m a creature of habit. Perhaps that’s why I love fall so much, it’s predictable, unlike summer- but I think that has more to do with the high expectations we have for the warmer months. As the leaves fall off the trees and the grass fades to a muted green, everything gets harder and colder, it’s nice to find comfort in all the other things. I find that fall brings more possibilities than spring, maybe it’s because people realize they’ve spent their year doing the same old shit so they feel inclined to be more spontaneous or outgoing. I find myself falling in love every autumn, never with anyone in particular, but with the hope that maybe one day there might be someone or something else I get to add to my life of habits and traditions as the holidays approach.
Autumn is a time for change, for fuzzy socks, and knit sweaters. A season for finding comfort and warmth beyond blankets by the fireplace. Every year I fall in love, and every year I hope to fall deeper. Whether it’s with the season itself or the people in my life, I always know that when the weather changes I know what to expect and that brings me the most comfort. By November I’ll be back in London, by December I’ll be back here and before you know it the crunch of leaves under your feet turns to snow. So take this time to enjoy yourself, spend time with loved ones, fall into old habits, start new resolutions, whatever makes you feel comfortable. Allow yourself to fall in love with the simplicity of the world around you, maybe if you’re lucky you’ll actually fall in love too. I probably won’t though so I’ll just skip to the Logan Huntzberger episodes of Gilmore Girls- nothing beats my celebrity crushes anyway. Habits, holidays, traditions, expectations, they come and they go, so find your comfort in grounding and gratitude. Till next time, stay flirty, stay thirsty, stay cozy, and fall in love with everything and everyone until the right one’s stick, cause once they stick those habits last a lifetime.
See you soon,
Paige B.
P.s. watch a movie, the best time to watch a movie is all the time- but especially in fall!
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