6 Reasons to Love Fall

Rainy Days. We had a lovely, long, and warm summer here in Helsinki. While it feels a little sad to say goodbye to all that sunshine and those nightless nights, there’s something incredibly romantic about the rainy days of fall. Is there anything nicer than sitting in your cozy room, a blanket wrapped around you and a warm mug of tea in your hand, while it’s pouring cats and dogs outside the window? Cuddling with your significant other is also extra pleasant when its raining. Plus, the sound of rain is a great background for listening music. (For sunnier days we recommend www.rainymood.com.)

Colors. The trees are getting dressed in all imaginable shades of red, orange, and yellow. Going for a walk in one of the many parks of Helsinki will be like free color therapy! If you’re into visual arts, take your camera or your drawing equipment with you and capture the fleeting beauty of fall. If you have a chance to visit Lapland this season, you’ll get to experience the fall foliage at it’s finest.

Halloween. Dig out your favorite Tim Burton DVDs, prepare a bowl of punch either in the shade of blood or unidentified toxic waste, and throw a costume party with your friends – All Hallows’ Eve is right around the corner! Wait, even better – your subject association is probably already throwing a Halloween party, so go there and you might not have to even make the punch yourself!

Long, Dark Nights. The sun barely sets in Finland during the summer – which is pretty awesome although it might make sleeping pretty challenging at times. In the winter, it barely rises – which is a bit hard to deal with at times, especially when it comes to classes or work shifts early in the morning. Compared to these two, fall seems to make much more sense. The darkening evenings are a great excuse for candles, star-gazing, and horror classics.

Woolly Socks. Or any thick and warm clothing items for that matter. You haven’t had a chance to wear those in a while, have you? Now it’s time to reunite with your favorite sweaters, knitted scarves, trench coats, and woolly hats. Sun dresses and shorts were awesome, but fall is a great season for playful accessories such as berets or knee-high socks.

New Beginnings. Fall is the season of new possibilities. A new semester has started, and maybe this time you could do things differently: keep your study notes organized, resist skipping those morning lectures with a non-obligatory participation policy, and spend more time at the campus library. If you’re like me, this sudden rush of motivation and determination will fade quite quickly and you’ll find yourself playing Tic-tac-toe against yourself at the back row of a lecture room. But at least for a week or two you can enjoy the empowering feeling that anything is possible!