I am happy summer is ending.
I know I am not alone in this thought, as the anticipation of fall has become a topic of conversation between many people I have talked to. I cannot wait for colder weather that allows me to wear a cozy sweatshirt every day, changing leaves that create the prettiest view, pumpkin and cinnamon being added to everything and celebrating all of the holidays that are to come.
Just to clarify, none of this means I don’t enjoy summer. I love summer nights spent around a campfire, swimming with my family and friends and just taking a few months to take a break from school. I am even going to miss these things as fall begins. But, overall, if I had to choose between all that makes up summer and all that makes up fall, I chose fall.
As I described earlier, the aesthetic of fall is unmatched. However, another reason I adore fall is that for my whole educational journey, the start of fall has meant another school year, which means it is a time that I can reset. For many people, this is what happens around New Year’s, but for me, trying to make new habits in the middle of the school year has always felt difficult. It’s not truly a clean start. Maybe this will be different once I am no longer bound by the schedule of school, but for now, this is where I am at.
Now I can’t say that I am the type of person who is good at sticking to new habits. I am more the type of person who sticks with a habit for a couple of weeks, gets bored or unmotivated and eventually stops. This past summer was no exception to this trend, as I tried to do so many new things, like make sourdough bread regularly and go to the gym, but none of them stuck.
As I move into this next season, however, and have a clean start, I want to change this trend of mine. As a junior this year, I feel like I am in a unique position where I feel a bit stuck at times in the same routines and clubs and jobs that I have had for a while and fell right back into at school, but also can identify changes like having a car on campus and having a new living situation. There is this desire for me to bring something new into my life (such as a new hobby or habit) and I recognize that now is as good a time as ever to do it.
As this new school year is starting, the habit that I want to adopt is working out. I have tried so many times to start working out, but it never sticks. But, at this time when I feel like I need something new in my life, I want to commit to it. This change would be beneficial for my mental health and just overall set a good tone for my 20s of trying to take care of my body as best as I can.
To tie all this together, I am happy summer is ending because I absolutely adore fall as it gives me a chance to reset my habits. It’s a new month, a new season, a new school year and a new phase of life of being halfway done with school, all of which means that if there is ever a time to reflect on my life and make a change, it’s now.
I am happy summer is ending, and cannot wait to see what the fall brings.
