SLOWING THE ART OF

Autumn is my favorite season—as much as seasons can really exist here in Florida. But celebrating every time the temperature drops yet another degree, sampling every pumpkin-flavored item on the menu of every coffee shop within reach, and making a mess trying to bake Halloween-themed treats with friends: these are the things that make fall feel like fall. And even as the progression of the fall semester brings ever-increasing workloads and the impending doom of midterms, I always know that with the start of each school year, I get to look forward to celebrating my favorite season through Halloween decorations, fall festivals, and trips to the pumpkin patch.

But here’s the catch—I realized I never actually end up doing any of these things.

A Saturday morning trip to the fall-themed farmer’s market turns into an excuse for me to stay in bed because I’m just too tired from the school week. All of those Halloween-themed baking supplies seem like something fun to stare at on the shelves at Michael’s as I rush in to buy project supplies and promise myself I’ll come back for them later. And the pumpkin spice drinks I’d been waiting to try all year never quite find their way into my daily caffeine fix. I’ve never actually experienced autumn, and not just because I live in a subtropical climate with no real seasons—I’ve just never actually gotten myself to do any of the things I promised myself I would. Fall has just become something I get to watch from my TV screen.

For me, it’s always been way too easy to fall into a mindset of constant work. When I’m not working, I feel guilty for leaving my studying behind. In trying to save all my leisure time for the weekends, the stress of the week leaves me too tired to do anything by the time Saturday rolls around. I’ve been living in an endless loop of work and study, while life has been passing me by. Meanwhile, I become too burnt out to even pick up my computer.

In the incessant day-to-day of college life, it’s easy to feel guilty when not giving in to the constant push to work. However, there is both beauty and necessity in slowing down. When I look back on my college years, I want to find more than empty days and blurred-together moments huddled up in the library. I also want to remember each moment of growth, every new experience, familiar moments spent with friends, the shifts and rhythms of daily life, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and my first time trying a maple cinnamon latte (spoiler alert: they’re not for me, but at least I tried it). In a world that barely gives us time to breathe, it’s up to us to slow down and create time for the little moments that make our daily lives a life.

Story by Zoe Golomb Design by Courtney Chalmers