Fall brings out several amazing things to admire including wearing scarves and boots, drinking hot chocolate, and eating candy. (Rob Schillinger/Flickr Creative Commons)
We are well into fall by this point, which means that on my scenic commute, most of the trees have turned orange, red and yellow. Some trees are still green, creating a nice mix of colors in the landscape, and others have lost their leaves altogether. It makes for a beautiful drive. In the mornings, I’ll need the heat going and the extra layers of clothes, but by the afternoon, I can open a window and let the breeze flow through. Usually, the window gets closed up again pretty shortly, but you get the idea. There’s more to it than that, though; fall brings about several awesome things that both commuters and residents can admire.
1) Fall kills the bugs. I am so terrified of beetles and moths and any type of bug really, so I’m so glad that they have mostly died off at this point. That didn’t stop one persistent moth from visiting me en route to UConn the other day, but it does mean that the bees are gone. I see fewer spiders, and fewer mosquitoes (though those haven’t been killed off enough for my tastes). The crickets are less annoying; it’s been good in the bug department for me lately.
2) Fall causes a scarf explosion. This is the time when we can break out the old infinity scarves and put them to good use. When I’m bumming it, you’ll see me in a scarf. When I’m trying to look nice, still a scarf. I love scarf weather. And, since I have two sisters, I’ve been able to collect a ton of scarves in all different colors and styles. If you ever need one, you know who to go to.
3) Fall gives me an excuse for hot chocolate. I guess this works with coffee too, but hot coffee in the summer is less of a faux pas than hot chocolate, at least from what I’ve seen. I had no shame this summer and got hot chocolate whenever I wanted, regardless of who was judging me. But, people consider it normal now, so I guess that’s a plus. Also, it’s pretty much a fact that hot beverages taste better when they’re cold. Hot cocoa is best in winter, but we’re getting there. Thank you, fall.
4) Fall gives me a reason to wear boots. Even though I haven’t yet, due to the sheer amount of walking I do at UConn, I know that the option is there for me when I want to take it. I would need to get Dr. Scholl’s or something to make them more comfortable and supportive, but boot season is great nonetheless. Plus, I do have a life outside of UConn, so I can make do with boots in my hometown.
5) Fall brings candy. Well, that’s more just Halloween, but Halloween is in fall, so there. We never actually celebrated it growing up, but my dad always made sure to stock up on the discount candy that was offered the day after. Nope, never got the whole trick-or-treating experience, but we did get a lot of candy regardless. Fall is great.
Hannah Desrosiers is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at hannah.desrosiers@uconn.edu.
