University of New Mexico junior Olivia Stanghellini was sitting outside the Student Union Building on a crisp Sunday morning and was willing to talk about her top five things about fall with the Daily Lobo.
Balloon Fiesta
Stanghellini, who is from California and new to Albuquerque, had never been to the Balloon Fiesta before this year. She had also never seen a hot air balloon in person before, but she said her first experience was magical.
Stanghellini said the festivities Albuquerque has to offer are unique in comparison to those of big California cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, both of which she has spent a great deal of time in.
“The festivities here are a lot more special (than in big cities) and it’s more community-oriented,” Stanghellini said. “It actually brings people together as opposed to just being a thing that happens.”
Stanghellini is also an avid photographer and said events like Balloon Fiesta are great occasions to get photos and people-watch.
“(Balloon Fiesta) is a great way to say goodbye to summer and bring in the spooky season,” Stanghellini said.
Supernatural happenings
According to Stanghellini, the veil between the natural and supernatural worlds is thin this time of year, which means that supernatural beings are more accessible and may make more frequent appearances.
“(Fall) is when I start to see weird people around town or vampires at Satellite (Coffee),” Stanghellini said.
A thin veil also means that it’s easier to connect with spirits and work on intuitive development, according to psychic medium and blogger Ashley Strong on her Light, Love and Spirit blog.
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Seeing creatures of the night roaming around is near the top of Stanghellini’s list of best things about fall.
Soft natural light
Light in the summer doesn’t have the same luminous glow that autumn light carries, Stanghellini said, which makes fall a gorgeous time of year.
“The sunsets on Central (Avenue) and the mountains are really beautiful,” Stanghellini said. “You don’t get that in the summer.”
In fall and winter, the shift in weather patterns allows for more particles to pass through the air, therefore increasing how many sunset colors we see, according to the Weather Channel.
Fall fashion
Cooler weather allows for layering clothing, which Stanghellini said is one of her favorite ways to style clothes. This is also nice because she also likes the opportunity to dress in a more masculine way, which layering allows for.
“In summer I feel like I have to expose more of my body,” Stanghellini said. “In the fall, I feel more militant and hardcore, and I like that.”
Permission to be lazy
Everything slows down in the fall, and with that comes recuperating from a fast-paced environment and taking it easy, Stanghellini said.
“It’s okay to hibernate and drink soup and watch movies,” Stanghelli said.
According to Stanghellini, there isn’t much else to do other than warm up as the weather cools down and relax in fall.
As the semester progresses and school gains intensity, fall brings in a refreshing wave of new activities and trends to enjoy.
Emma Trevino is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @itsemmatr
