My favorite time of year has always fluctuated depending on the weather outside -- in the winter when I'm freezing under layers of sweaters and a scarf and hat, I yearn for summer days when it's hot enough to just throw on a sundress and sandals before going outside. I love watching it snow, but hate losing sensation in my fingers and nose. I love sunbathing at the beach and swimming in the ocean or friends' pools, but I hate sweating when I'm running errands in the city, surrounded by thousands of people at any given moment.

Trusty autumn is always pleasant, though; at any point in October, it's usually nice enough to rock a jean jacket, some leggings and sneakers or boots. The breeze outside sends a chill through me, but I don't mind sitting outside to do some reading or soak in the final rays of sun before winter hits. The leaves on trees and vines start changing to vibrant shades of red, orange and gold, and the whole neighborhood starts to look like something out of a Halloween-themed movie. It's AMAZING.

Let's be real; October is just another way of saying "31 days of Halloween." I grew up loving trick-or-treating, and now that it's socially unacceptable for me to collect candy from strangers' houses, I just take advantage of the sales at CVS and watch movies with friends. (The movies I watch at this time of year probably haven't changed too much though -- "Halloweentown" and episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are classics I'll never get tired of).

I agree that it's excessive to have Halloween decorations out for sale in stores at the start of September; as soon as "Back to School" doesn't seem like an applicable theme anymore, ghosts and vampires and witches appear in the "Seasonal" aisle as an all-too-early reminder that the year is in its final months. But once I get over this initial shock, I tend to be very content wandering through the black and orange and purple aisles of candles and jack-o-lantern garlands and creepy statues.

Though the end of the best month is all too sad, what better way could there be to transition from vampires to turkeys than with the festivities of Halloween on the 31st? Happy 31 Days of Halloween October!