The other day I was walking to my car after a long, tiring day at school, as many students may be familiar with, and it started drizzling, then raining, and then POURING. I tried my best to walk under tree branches to be shielded from the rain, but no dice. By the end of my walk I looked like a wet rat, and my new uggs were stained with water. It’s probably my fault for not checking the weather forecast, but I know that summer would never treat me that dirty.
The transition from summer to fall is filled with jolliness. When the mornings finally decide to get colder, my mood gets happier with it. It is the much needed break from the endless and exhausting hot weather. Along with that, I am happy that I get to see my friends everyday and do homework while sitting in a warm Starbucks. I feel so productive, and it gives me a drive like no other. In this phase, going to school isn’t a chore yet, and assignments and lectures are still fairly easy. Football games and lively assemblies are frequent, allowing us all to enjoy going to school and look forward to participating in the school spirit.
The days go on, the leaves change color, the morning smells fresh and crisp, like taking a gulp of ice water at 2am, and, most importantly, pumpkin flavored items appear on menus! When it feels this way, I don’t want to be anywhere else. Contrary to summer, when I have a head full of daydreams about Christmas, and unlike winter, when my body aches from shivering so much, fall is just perfect. It might be the most rewarding couple of months simply because of the joy and relaxation I feel. Now, I could go on and on gushing about how amazing the beginning months of fall are, but sadly, it doesn’t stay like this forever.
Recently, the days have been getting colder, darker and rainier. I know that we are officially in the transition days between fall and winter. I like to call it “sad fall.” “Aesthetic fall” is gone. No more pumpkin patch visits, no more planning Halloween costumes, and no more hot apple cider. It no longer satisfies me that I am able to wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants to school without completely overheating; it’s just the norm now. I am no longer in the “honeymoon” phase of school; my motivation to do my school work has blown away, just the same as the colorful leaves on the trees that we used to gaze upon.
Everyday, I wake up to the mundane tapping of rain on my bedroom window. The stress of having the sickly sight of missing assignments being stacked on top of each other on my mind causes me issues. My skin breaks out, I slowly fade to a ghostly pale white shade, my confidence drops, and for some reason my eyes spontaneously burst into tears. There is only one solution to my dire problem, Thanksgiving break. Stuffing myself with food and sleeping for 12 hours each night is surely going to heal me. Once we get to Thanksgiving, the ball begins to roll. After Thanksgiving we have the excitement of Christmas coming up and then time feels like it is flying!
As I am writing this, I realize I know it may sound depressing, but just remember the reward of being so brave and getting through this sad fall phase. In just a mere few days, I will be cozying up on the couch, drinking hot coco, perhaps reading a book with the soft, warm toned lights illuminating the room from the Christmas tree. So, if you too are experiencing a sad fall phase, you can do it!
