Coming from living in Southern California, I wasn’t able to experience the seasons in the same way as someone who lives in a state where seasons actually exist. I remember driving to school through my neighborhood to find my eyes lighting up at the sight of a single tree with orange leaves or yellow mustard flowers bordering the highways, even though neither the color of those leaves nor the flowers would last long. Here at Berkeley, many wouldn’t agree that we actually experience seasons, but it’s enough for me to enjoy a change in the coloring of the scenery and atmosphere to palpably mark the passage of time.
My favorite part about our beautiful campus is by far the trees. My camera roll is filled with different pictures of the pretty trees I see around campus. In the fall, I’m pleased to walk around Berkeley to see plenty of “fall-looking” trees of different colors and feel the cold air in the mornings. It makes my morning walks to class more enjoyable. Listening to my fall playlists no longer feels unfitting in comparison to the display of the season around me. I eagerly await the changing of leaves on my favorite trees I observed on and around campus last year, like the one on the law school campus and the ones in front of the Valley Life Sciences Building. It’s the same with the cherry blossoms in the spring. I remember feeling such awe when stumbling upon the dozens of cherry blossom trees lining the entrance to campus near Crescent Lawn.
Now, I have found it imperative to get into the spirit of each season by buying decorations for my apartment and doing seasonal activities. In the fall, I would bake and rewatch Gilmore Girls and fall movies. Now that it’s spring, I’ll spend time outside either at a coffee shop, on the Glade, or on my sorority’s roof. I’ve hosted spring picnics and paint nights at my apartment too.
Being able to enjoy the environment of different seasons gives me something to look forward to as the semester passes. As each new season arises, I find myself calling it my new favorite season for the time being. So if you asked me today, I’d say it’d be spring. As I reflect on this, I feel grateful to express such optimism for life through the beauty of the different seasons.