As fall is finally approaching, it’s hard not to think about how October has to be my favorite month out of the year. My birthday isn’t even in October, it’s in January. I still have a special place in my heart for the month of October. There are just so many feel-good qualities about it that makes it stand out from the rest of the other 11 months. Obviously, everyone likes December because of Christmas and the summer months because, well, who doesn’t like summer? But October just has something different about it that makes it the best and here are a few of those reasons:

7. It’s pretty

I’ll start off with saying how it’s just flat out pretty. The leaves are turning colors into beautiful shades of red, gold and orange. There’s no snow on the ground yet to turn into muddy slush and sit on the streets for weeks like in December and the other winter months. It’s just such a nice feeling driving home down a street lined with trees that are all turned into different colors as a reminder of just how beautiful nature can be after a long summer of plain green everywhere.

6. Kick-off to the holiday season

October is the beginning to the end. October is great and I love it, but it’s not like when it ends I get sad because it’s all over. October is the kick-off to the rest of the year. After October, we still have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years to look forward to. October is just the beginning of all of the excitement that comes with the rest of the calendar year, and you can feel people starting to get ready for it all as the month goes on. The best time of the year starts in October.

5. Football

Whether you’re cheering on you high school team on a Friday, tailgating at a college game on a Saturday or sitting snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of chili and your favorite NFL team on a Sunday, everyone loves a little football season. Are you considered truly American if you don’t?

4. Post-season baseball

As a huge lifelong Cubs fan, you can see why I would be excited about this one and feel like it is a very important part about October this year. However, I am superstitious and don’t want to jinx anything so I’m not going to say too much about this topic other than GO CUBS!

3. Pumpkins

Pumpkin everything and everywhere. Pumpkin decorations, carving pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin scented candles, you name it. I love everything pumpkins. I love carving them and pulling out the ooey-gooey insides. I love having my room smell like fall scented candles. I love going to Starbuck’s and ordering a pumpkin spice latte or even going to the store and buying pumpkin flavored ice cream. I am a sucker for anything pumpkin because it screams “fall” and “October” and it makes me so happy.

2. Fall clothes

It’s about time. Living in Bloomington, Indiana, I am so beyond ready to wear fall clothes. I am sick of walking to class dripping sweat every day even though I’m only wearing a tank top and shorts. It should never still be 85 degrees and sunny the first week of October. Now that it is finally starting to cool off, I’m already pulling out the boots, scarves, jeans, oversized sweaters, cute jackets, flannels and knit socks. I love fall clothes and after a long, hot summer, I’m getting pretty sick of repeating the same shorts-tank top duo every day.

1. Halloween

The best for last. Halloween. This means fake blood and cobweb decorations, Halloweentown and other Disney movies, candy, costumes, haunted houses, and so much more. All things fun. The more you put into Halloween, the more you get out of it. Halloween is exciting at all ages too. Everyone can participate because you’re never too old or too cool to dress up as something that you’re not and have a little fun along the way. Just, this year, let’s try to keep it to a minimum with the clown costumes please.