I have never been a big fan of fall. For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreaded it. While some welcome the leaves changing colour, pumpkin spice lattes and colder weather – I miss summer.
It’s not just that I don’t like fall. I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum of fall lovers as a spring lover. Spring offers a lot of the same benefits of fall, but with an anticipation of warmer weather, not colder.
Spring also means baby animals, the sun’s return and growing excitement for summer. I love being outside, so every year I can’t wait for the snow to melt and the grass to take over.
However, this week something strange happened to me. I was sitting on the GO train heading to my partner’s place in Toronto, when I realized I was fondly looking at the fall landscape.
I have 22 years of experience as a fall hater and now, I suddenly find myself in love with it. Am I getting more boring in my old age? I don’t mean to offend any fall fans, but it’s not the most exciting season.
Maybe it’s because I finally finished Gilmore Girls. As the days get colder, I have been able to stay inside, cozy, while yelling at my TV about what a terrible father and boyfriend Christopher is (you know I’m right).
As I wrack my brain trying to find a reason for my newfound appreciation for fall, the main difference between previous years and this year is that I’m not a student anymore. For the first time in 18 years, I don’t have to go to school.
Don’t get me wrong – while I enjoyed my time as a student, especially at Wilfrid Laurier University, I wouldn’t dare write a whole article in a school newspaper about how much I hate university.
While I liked university, I can’t pretend that it wasn’t stressful at times. The more I think about it, the more I realize I didn’t like fall because it meant switching from the summer break to the chaos of a full university schedule.
Maybe you’ve noticed this too, but I always found that the start of the winter term is easier than the start of the fall term, simply because it’s a smaller leap.
In my case, the switch from summer to fall wasn’t a switch at all. I graduated from Laurier last April and immediately started working full-time as the Station Manager for Radio Laurier. Because of this, my routine barely changed from August to September.
Now that I’m working full-time, I don’t have to worry about midterms, I don’t have to buy textbooks and my day ends at 5 p.m. Having more time and energy to myself means I can finally take the time to appreciate what I’ve been overlooking for so long. In this case, it’s fall.
And what’s not to love about fall? The trees are beautiful, the coffee is pumpkiny and I can wear sweaters again. Not to mention, I am able to celebrate a whole holiday dedicated to eating before Halloween takes place on Oct. 31. My birthday also happens to take place during the month of October.
Is this what I’ve been missing the whole time?
Now, I didn’t write this just to rub it in that you’re likely still a student and I’m not. I wrote this to try to remind you not to let your stress get in the way of what’s around you.
I spent far too long looking down at my laptop (which I guess I’m doing as I write this), instead of looking at the beautiful seasons happening outside my window.
As you progress in your program, try to make time to appreciate where you are. You work hard and you deserve to see some nice trees and have a cozy night in occasionally.
If you’re worried about what to do after you graduate, at least you know you’ll have more time to appreciate the full slate of activities available during the fall season.
