The autumn season brings a series of familiar favorites: the smell of pumpkin spice lattes, a crisp and refreshing cool breeze and big hand-knitted sweaters. Amidst the preparation for Halloween and the upcoming winter, many people tend to overlook one of the most underrated parts of fall: the changing colors of leaves.

During fall, there is a spectrum of truly mesmerizing colors for your eyes to enjoy. From deep emerald green to vibrant yellow, the scenery around you contains every pigment of color. There is no better way to observe and admire these colors than by looking at leaves.

As we progress further and further into the fall season, more and more leaves will begin to fall. With brisk winds knocking the leaves from their branches, many people are out raking them up and disposing of them into plastic bags, not paying attention to the natural beauty that mother Earth has gifted us.

I, for one, believe that people need to take a second to look at their surrounds and appreciate all that nature has to offer. This color changing environment that we live in only comes around for a very short portion of the year and will be gone before you know it. From an ostensibly beautiful setting to an arid and bleak one in no time, take a moment to breathe it all in and enjoy. Make sure a mental snapshot has been taken too because you will miss the days of beauty and color.

If you couldn’t already tell, this time of year is one of the most enjoyable for spending leisurely time outside. There is no greater feeling for me than walking around outside, breathing in the fresh air, and admiring the leaves around me. They are all so unique and vast. Their colors are so pure.

As a kid growing up, one of my favorite activities was playing in the leaves with my brothers and friends. We would make massive leaf piles and crash into them. Tumbling down onto a soft surface; similar to a pillow, there was no greater feeling.

For me, my favorite color leaf would be tangerine orange. It captures the true essence and beauty of fall. It demonstrates the brightness that this season possesses, even though the days are getting shorter. It also reminds us that despite the weather getting colder, it will start to warm back up again soon.

While the commotion of the holiday season is right around the corner, and the unbearably cold weather of winter is swiftly approaching, take a moment to acknowledge the diverse color of leaves that your neighborhood and community have to offer.

If you aren’t in love with the autumn season by now then I would be truly shocked and disappointed. All I can hope for is that you make sure to find a soft surface to land on after you have fallen for fall this season.