I am currently approximately three weeks away from turning 20 years old. That itself is pretty weird to think about, because leaving the teenage years behind means becoming a real adult. But that’s a whole other story in and of itself. I’m just excited about having a birthday coming up.

I have thought a lot about this, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no other time of year I would have preferred to be born in rather than the fall. Sure, summer means no school, winter means snow, and spring means everything is warming up and blooming again after winter, but to me fall has this kind of irreplaceable uniqueness to it that none of the other seasons can come close to.

For one thing, fall weather is basically perfect. It still has its warm days, but generally speaking, it’s not nearly as hot as summer is, and temperatures usually hover around the 50s and 60s. You can still wear short-sleeved shirts, but you can also wear jeans and hoodies without overheating. Not to mention, the change in the climate allows for the leaves to change colors and fall off. Trees filled with yellow, red and orange leaves are always a beautiful sight to behold, and I think there’s still a little kid in everyone that enjoys jumping into a pile of leaves, or at least kicking them around as they walk.

Fall also has two holidays that are based primarily around stuffing your face with food — Halloween and Thanksgiving. My birthday is exactly three weeks before Halloween, and I always liked that right after I would run out of the cake and candy I got for my birthday, I would just get more on Halloween night. Then, a few weeks after that would be Thanksgiving, and for me, that always means relaxing at home with family and enjoying good food. Also, Thanksgiving and the day after are the days that we start putting our Christmas decorations up, so those are also big things to look forward to.

Aside from having holidays that are more or less centered on eating, fall also brings specific foods that people rarely eat during other times of the year. I cannot delve into this topic without mentioning the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, which are definitely among the most popular fall treats with people I’ve met on campus. Pumpkin pie is my personal favorite, and apple cider is another pretty popular one too.

There are quite a few other reasons why fall is such a great season — being able to go to football games, bonfires and haunted houses with friends, among other things. However, one common element I think ties everything together is that fall encourages people to bond over things that they really like. It brings people together, fosters new relationships and helps make old ones get stronger. I believe fall is a season of new bonds and unique ideas, which is why I am happy I was born in this season.