The air has turned brisk. Red and yellow leaves fall; a frosting on the streets. Days are getting shorter, and the nights are growing longer. Autumn is upon us. Students walk through campus donning layers of coats, looking forward to the holiday season and the crisp chill that comes with it. Fall festivals, jack-o-lanterns lining staircase entryways all through Hoboken, the signs of Halloween are everywhere. All through our lives, we have spent the holidays with our families, and this Halloween season is the first that many will have spent away from home.
At this point, when I walk outside of my dorm building, I smell the start of basketball season. I remember the days when as I would walk out into my car to go to school, I could smell the start of my sacred sports season on the wind. There’s no feeling quite like it, the adrenaline races as you hear the squeaking shoes of players dancing around the court, defense maneuvers mixed with skillfully crafted ball handling, creating an atmosphere of simultaneous bliss and excitement. I miss the crowd’s roar after basket after basket was made. I miss the long drive home after a game, listening to music on the radio, or my parents giving me pointers on how I could improve for the next game. It reminds me of home.
I find myself going on long walks through Hoboken, drawn to each little corner store coffee shop, where holiday flavors are finally available. In a world where everyone is moving so fast, sitting down in a coffee shop allows me to admire the ambiance of calm. Coffee shops feel warm, cozy even, much like home. And as the holidays approach, I feel the energy changing, the hustle and bustle of towns and cities exploding overnight. Yet, it’s almost as if my mind won’t let me fully enjoy the anticipation of it all.
There is just a feeling you get at this point in the year. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the sun’s slanting rays, but more of the knowledge that the year is coming to a close. Aside from the holiday season, there is almost a frantic feeling setting in. With midterms having just wrapped up, there should be a feeling of relaxation. Yet, as I think of the holiday season upon us, finals season also approaches, and just thinking about it sends my pulse racing. There seems to be so much to do before I can sit down and truly enjoy the holidays.
But, it is important to remember to stop and smell the roses, as many say. To enjoy what is right in front of us. Take a look around at the jack-o-lanterns, and the haunted houses, and allow yourself the break from school work in order to enjoy yourself with friends this All Hallows Eve weekend.
Mind of a Freshman is an Opinion column written by one or two first-year Stevens students to discuss life experiences during their time at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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