We’ve suffered long enough in the late summer heat, when stepping outside after class feels like stepping into a convection oven. It’s finally fall on the Palouse, which means it’s time to break out the sweaters, jeans, and boots. 

While the forecast might not reflect the change in title, I’m ready to embrace the season for its name rather than the reality. My roommate is a huge baker, and since the middle of September, our apartment has smelled like cinnamon. For the first few days, I would come home from class, step out of the convection oven outdoors and into an equally warm kitchen where a plate of warm baked goods awaited. 

I hate to sound ungrateful, but it was torturous to smell and taste the delicious treats and not enjoy them, because all I craved after my walk home was a massive slice of cold watermelon. 

Now that we’ve experienced at least 2 days of cool weather here in Pullman, I tear into her creations with a fervor hitherto unknown by my roommates.  

Besides the sugar and spice-fueled fervor of fall food and beverages, the fall season also brings about a certain feeling of familiar melancholy. The cold weather and distinct seasonal hallmarks of school stress and football excitement combined with the cold weather make for a cocktail of emotions that demand sugary buttery treats to self-medicate. 

The fall season in Pullman is also an excellent opportunity to catch up on your favorite procedural TV show. Something about murder investigations really put me in the fall vibe. My current detectives of choice are Shawn and Gus of Psych, and Rizzoli and Isles from their show of the same name. It’s easy to pop on these shows in the background while you do homework, chores or nap. 

Another reason I love the fall: low-effort outfits. In the summertime, there is a lot of pressure to dress cute but also in alignment with the weather, which is hard when the weather demands ice-pack vests. In the fall, having articles of clothing that are comfortable immediately fulfills the weather requirement, and cuteness goes out the window once exams and projects start heating up. 

Although it is sad that the weather here will soon prevent us from being outside for long periods, now is a great time to pick up a hobby. It can be hard to feel happy or that life is worth living when the sun sets at 5 p.m., and there are still exams to study for. Having an activity to look forward to that isn’t sleeping or scrolling is very important as we head into the colder seasons that keep us inside. 

Of course, the crown jewel of fall is the holidays, which are especially fun in college because you can start your own traditions. I always watch Jurassic Park the night before I travel home for Thanksgiving, a tradition that started on a Greyhound bus. Now the holiday doesn’t feel right without it. Having the freedom to kick-start your own traditions is a hallmark of a college fall. Explore nostalgic practices and attach meaning to your fall routine. 

The weather may quickly turn from temperate fall to blistering winter; I encourage Pullman residents to enjoy every day of fall, and to be thankful that we have time between the baking heat and the icebox cold to enjoy our beautiful town.