OK, I get it... summer is our time to relax, go on vacation, and not have to think about school. We get to see our friends more often, go to the beach, and get that tan we've been waiting on all year. But besides the leisure that the season stands for, I'm not really a huge fan of summer as a whole. Besides the back-to-school factor, fall has always been my favorite season.

As a freshman in college, summer can get real old real quick with the amounts of walking practically across campus to get to class every day. At 9am you might think it's fair to wear jeans and a sweatshirt, but as soon as you're walking to your 12pm class on the other side of campus, shorts and a t-shirt seem much more ideal. As an avid sweater enthusiast, I can't wait for the day that it's 55 degrees with a slight wind chill so I can comfortably wear my cable-knits and bean boots.

I also appreciate the days when it's not too hot or sunny to sit outside and do work, eat, or just relax. Don't get me wrong, I love the sunshine, but when I can sit under a tree with the leaves falling around me, all changing colors -- AH -- I just love it. There's nothing quite like an autumn breeze and a good picnic with friends.

It might be a nostalgic thing, too; I have such good memories of fall with my family as a kid. Going apple picking, finding the perfect pumpkins, Halloween, and, of course, my birthday (November 16th) certainly put the image of the perfect fall in my head. Not to mention, my all-time favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving -- is a fall festivity. The food accompanying the arrival of autumn, too -- apple pie, pumpkin spice everything, more and more bake goods (the more the merrier) -- makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It might just be the fact that the season reminds me of such happy times with my family that makes me so excited about the turning of the leaves and the cooling of the weather.

And we can't forget, fall means we are one step closer to winter... not my favorite season, but the the holiday season!!!! So yes, I guess I'm a bit biased.

As for now, the forecast for the rest of the week says sunny and mid-seventies. Alright, summer, I've seen enough.