Fall is upon us! As one looks outside the windows of the dining commons they can see leaves swirling around outside. The beautiful colors of fall grace our eyes as we walk through the wandering paths of this beautiful campus. If you are looking for some tips on fun things to do in the coming days, then you have come to the right place. I will attempt to make a comprehensive list of all of the Fall festivities that you will not want to miss out on.
Fall Walks:
The first suggestion on this list is to partake in a lovely fall walk. With the sound of crunching leaves below one’s feet and a crisp breeze keeping the heart beating, a fall walk could be the one good thing that you are missing in your life. As a college student, there are many stressors that we fill our lives with, some intentional and some unintentional. My suggestion for you is that you also try to fill your life with some destressors. We are graced to live in not only the beautiful state of Pennsylvania on this campus but also be surrounded by the wonderful town of Wayne. A walk into town will not only give you a new perspective on the idyllic place that we get to reside in. There is a small path out behind Doane that takes you right out to the road towards Lancaster Ave, a great place to start if I do say so myself.
Another place to take a nice fall walk is Valley Forge. Being only about 20 minutes away from campus, this historical park is a treat to walk around in as one can gaze upon not only the historical grounds but also the changing trees in the distance across the rolling hills. At Valley Forge, there are a few walking paths, biking paths, and a welcome center to help get you started. Bring a coat because it can get quite chilly out in the open!
Visit an Orchard:
If you have Instagram or any form of social media, you may have already stumbled upon people visiting orchards and fall festivals this season. These orchards which we are blessed to be near quite a few, offer a unique and fun activity for the weekend or early afternoon. Not only are they a great way to get outside and enjoy the trees in addition to the walks that you can enjoy there, but there are also usually other small festivities to partake in at orchards, most notably, picking apples! If picking apples is not your style, orchards also usually have apple cider to try as well as the occasional pumpkin patch, which brings us to our next activity.
Pumpkin Carving:
Pumpkin carving while it can be messy, is a must-do staple of the season. There are a few opportunities on campus to carve pumpkins as well as many places to purchase kits and pumpkins in the town around campus. This activity, best enjoyed with friends and cider, is one that I most strongly associate with this time of year. Some people may not like the feeling of gutting a pumpkin, getting the juices and slime all over the place, but that is what friends are for! Once you prepare a pumpkin for carving, the whole ordeal becomes a lot cleaner for those who do not like messy hands. If you are not an artist, this is a great time to try your hand at carving because if you mess up it’s par for the course. Cutting out stencils and tracing them on the pumpkins is a great way to get started if free-hand carving is not an option. If you have been around campus for the past few days you will have seen the wonderfully carved pumpkins sitting atop Walton, why not add to the festivities with your pumpkin?
Trick-or-Treating:
Now this one may not resonate with all of the the people reading this article, but there are a select few that I am speaking to, particularly freshmen. There will not be many more times that you can go trick-or-treating with your friends, and arguably that time has passed. The wonderful thing is though when dressed in a costume, no one can tell who you are, so go out and enjoy one last year of festivity. If going out into the town is too daunting, many dorm rooms will have candy put out their doors or in the lobbies on the night of Halloween allowing students to still partake in trick-or-treating from the comfort of their dorm rooms. If collecting candy in any way is against your moral code, try giving out candy this year! It is a great way to meet new people and enjoy the spirit of Halloween as people circulate campus.
Visit a Haunted House:
Now these are not for the faint of heart, but they are most definitely a fun way to make sure that you are still alive. There are numerous haunted houses in the general area which are all good options if you are looking for a scare better than a scary movie. In fact, there will be a haunted house on campus this year hosted by the Student Government Association. A tradition from the past that is returning should be a great way to enjoy the holiday without going too far. I cannot exactly pinpoint what the joy is in having your socks scared off, but it should be a fun way to spend an evening away from thinking about schoolwork.
Rake Leaves:
There might not be anything more satisfying than raking leaves in the fall. As a young child raking leaves always seemed like a bit of a chore, but recently I have come to a new understanding of the joy that raking leaves can bring. You might be saying, “I have no rake and no leaves to be raked.” But, that is where you are wrong. Many people in the surrounding community could use some help raking their leaves. So if you find yourself bored in the coming days and want to do something kind, find a messy yard and ask if you can assist. The time that is spent outside smelling the aromas of fall and the crinkling bunches of leaves will undoubtedly make it worth it. I will caution against jumping in leaf piles through. While seemingly fun in comics and movies, they do little to cushion hard falls.
Above are just a few of the ways in which you can hopefully find some time to unwind in the coming days. Ensuring to slow down and enjoy the weather is one of the best ways to keep yourself from getting burned out while hitting the books. Fall will not last forever, but endless piles of homework seemingly will, so taking some time to enjoy some cider seems like the only logical thing to do.
Hannah Bonanducci