Photo by Isabella Smejtek.
Some people hold the belief that fall is a cold, dreary, muddy, rainy season. It’s always cold and dark outside, and if you’re from Portland, then you know it only rains. You wake up to go to school or work in the morning and it’s dark. You get home in the early evening and it’s dark once again. You want to be outside, but it’s raining. That especially becomes an issue during Halloween. You have your costume all planned out, but then something always goes wrong. The wig you’re wearing is too itchy, your makeup doesn’t turn out the way you had planned, and neither does your costume. If you’re planning on going trick-or-treating, it always rains leaving you tromping through puddles and mud, leaving your costume soaked. However, these people have closed their minds from the lovely opportunities and memories that fall offers us.
I personally love the dark mornings, when it’s rainy and cold. It’s peaceful, and it’s exciting. When it’s cold outside, my outfits become more creative. In the cold I can layer, wear hoodies and cozy sweaters, and show off my fun pant collection. In a poll taken by a few high school students, 96% of people said that they liked fall, and many responded saying that their favorite part of fall is the array of clothing choices that become available. Students identified cozy sweaters as the best part of fall overall.
When talking about the comfort aspect of fall, one must not ignore the importance of warm fall drinks. Fall drinks were found to be universally important among the survey respondents. Coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, chai lattes, hot matcha, and for the classics, pumpkin spiced lattes. Not only do fall drinks heighten the fall aesthetic immensely, but they also bring internal warmth on those cold dark days, and something to look forward to drinking while sitting through class.
Here comes my personal favorite aspect of fall: seasonal activities with friends and family. There are so many fun activities to do during the fall, whether it be going to the pumpkin patch, having a scary movie night with friends, cooking and/or baking, getting coffee, carving pumpkins, eating with family, or (a personal Portland favorite) the apple festival at the Portland Nursery. For the cold and rain enthusiasts, another fun activity can be going outside in the pouring rain with friends. I can guarantee you that it will leave lasting memories in one way or another.
The rain. Let’s not forget about the rain. The wet ground, the fresh rain smell, the sound of the rain falling on the roof as you go to sleep or what you wake up to in the morning. No matter the scenario, there is no ignoring that the rain is an integral aspect to the Portland fall energy. Without the rain, without the trees changing colors lining the streets in Ladds Addition (a popular neighborhood known for its tree lined streets which become stunning with their fall colors), fall in Portland would not be as iconic as it is.
Arguably the best part of fall is Halloween. Within that same survey, I found a consensus among other teenagers that Halloween, or more specifically the candy and scary movies, is the best fall holiday and allows for the best fall activities. If you are a fall enthusiast, I highly recommend this season to go and get pumpkins with your friends. Get together on Halloween and have a carving party and movie night, with all the candy you can eat.
Fall is when people’s traditions have a chance to shine. For example, in my family, one of our traditions (and one of my personal favorites) is going to the annual apple festival, buying half our weight in apples, and eating as much apple strudel as we possibly can. There are an array of traditions families have during the fall, ranging from movie nights, making holiday dinners, or going to the pumpkin patch. Whatever the traditions might be, fall gives families more time to spend together and connect.
In the end, it is indisputable that fall is the best season, especially as a high school student in Portland.
