Fall is most of our favorite seasons. We all have different reasons for that, but mine is for the food. I'll (with a fair amount of shame) have a hot soup any day of the year — even on the hottest summer days. But from the first sign of leaves changing, I embrace my love for hot chai, pumpkin-based baked goods, and my favorite Indian soups publicly with loved ones.
This year more than ever, even those who can barely make toast or cereal have been dusting off their cookbooks. We're not just making homemade pumpkin spice chai — we're eating fried chicken, homemade soups, and ordering TikTok viral drinks from Starbucks.
Below, see some of the food-related fun we have been having this month:
Well over four feet tall and 100 pounds in weight, many of us "young adults" of the world still consider ourselves children. Big, working, college-attending, beer-drinking children. We may live on our own, know how to cook noodles, and occasionally use a planner, but don't be fooled; the youthful tendencies that reside within us still make their way into our daily lives. From choosing to stay up until 3:00 a.m. playing video games on a school night to going out in 30 degree weather without a coat, we still make decisions that our parents and grandparents would shake their heads at in disappointment. So why are we expected to know exactly how to be a wise, professional, sensible adult? It's not that we're irresponsible (for the most part, anyway). It's that we are young, inexperienced, and still have the sought-after, enthusiastic mentality that we can do and be whatever we want, which has not yet been tarnished by the reality of the world. These are just a few of the unrealistic expectations that society has for young adults.
"You should know exactly what career is right for your future by the time you're 18."
Eighteen? We just learned how to do laundry and effectively cut the crust off of our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but we're expected to decide on a lifelong career? There are people who are 50 years old who still don't know what they want to do with their lives.
Organizing and budgeting money is something that takes time to master. Saving every last dime is completely unrealistic. Many of us just made the switch from Piggy Bank to Citibank. Our financial priorities up to this point have been gas and food, not the thousands of dollars of debt we'll eventually be in.
"Get plenty of sleep and adjust to a regular sleep schedule."
We're in college. We're busy. We'll be surviving off of caffeine and the 15 minute power naps we'll take between classes. Is it healthy? Probably not. But adjusting to busier schedules and a heavier workload takes time. Unfortunately, it's hard for us to accept that we can't take five hour naps after class like we did when we were younger.
"Make sure to eat healthy, balanced meals. Don't forget those fruits and vegetables."
Again, we're in college. We're poor. A not-so-healthy diet is the least of our problems. We'll be living off of Ramen noodles, Easy-Mac, and whatever free or discounted food we can get our hands on.
"Surround yourself with good, moral people."
College is a time that we'll meet and befriend a lot of people -- the good and the bad. Believe it or not, the drunk kid streaking in 20 degree weather all around campus actually has a 4.0 GPA and goes to church every week. We may not be best friends with the 'poster child' students, but we can assure you we will learn many lessons from them and make some pretty laughable memories in the process.
There are a lot of foods in this world, but there is only one dish that stands above the rest: Pizza. If you're close to me or at least know who I am, then you know that I'm totally obsessed with pizza. It's one of my favorite things to eat and I will NEVER turn down a slice, even if it doesn't have my favorite toppings. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking about pizza. I even sleep with a pizza pillow every night! There are many reasons why pizza stands above all other foods, and here are just a couple reasons why.
Pizza is like a BFF
It's there for you and you're there for it. You're inseparable and it will literally never let you down. Ever.
Circle, square, Lunchables, pizza roles, the possibilities are endless!
It's the food that is always free at events
That big Freshman seminar you don't want to go to? Yeah, they're serving free pizza. Now do you want to go? The answer is yes.
It's always available
Have you ever gone somewhere where you didn't find at least one or two pizza chains or at least somewhere that sold pizza?
Two Words: Frozen Pizza
The frozen pizza was invented so that we can easily buy and make our own pizza at home when we don't want to spend a ton of money and need pizza in like 5 minutes.
All that sauce, garlic, and cheese, what ISN'T there to love?
Clean Up is easy
You don't need utensils, all you really need is a paper plate and some napkins. (or don't even use plate, just eat it right out of the box!)
Burned dinner? Order pizza
Haven't started dinner yet? Does the family hate dinner? Did you accidentally burn the food? Just order some pizza! Simple fix.
Pizza Apparel
Pizza earrings, headphones, T-shirts, shoes, room decor, they have pretty much everything out there! You can make your entire life revolve around pizza for real.
Just...Pizza.
But seriously, what more is there to say? The name just says it all
1. You don't have to feel guilty about flirting with customers for tips (or just for shits and giggles).
2. You can be obnoxiously flirtatious with anyone you want. You are free to be that girl that flirts with everybody and makes 'em all smile (it's especially fun when the guy is as cute as Collin Jost). No shame.
3. Making random men nervous with your superior beauty and intense eye contact just for the hell of it is really amusing and empowering.
4. No one gives two poops if ya legs are hairy (your man shouldn't either but *Kermit the Frog meme* That's none of my business)
5. The toilet seat will remain down.
6. There's more money to spend on yourself.
7. There's always this secret butterfly in your tummy that marvels at the possibility that when you go out this weekend you're gonna meet someone super handsome/wonderful/prince-like and have this moment of dazzling dalliance.
8. Nothing is that serious...you can take it all with a grain of salt...you don't owe anybody anything.
9. You can dance with anyone and everyone...or no one (Hello frat boi w/ glasses, I see you).
10. You don't have to fluff anyone's ego but your own.
11. Free drinks and dinners from single guys (It's not taking advantage if they're offering; a girl's gotta eat).
12. You have more time to learn how to love and improve yourself rather than constantly pouring your energy into another person.
13. You don't have to sacrifice your cheesy Jen Aniston rom-coms and Gilmore Girls for his Fast and Furious/other dumb action movie featuring blonde that is only in the movie to supply a relationship to the male lead and to make him look more masculine/empowered in juxtaposition (In other words, you don't have to deal with a guy being a crabby Patty while you watch your cute movies).
14. You can daydream about what your future husband may be doing right now (and not get stressed/guilty out because you're not picturing your current boyfriend that's crazy about you as your future husband).
15. There is more time to be spent with your girlfriends.
We've all been there - you've been saying since Tuesday after French that this weekend is the weekend. You're finally going to break out those new heels and actually put on eyeliner on and make this Friday night be one for the memory books! That is, of course, until Girls Night Out turned into...Girls Night In.
Pregaming the pregame
You've been talking up this night pretty much all week. There's a list of songs to play next to your calc notes and you've already picked out the perfect outfit in your mind, then changed it 10 times before returning back to the original outfit.
Coming home after a long day
No matter if you worked ten hours or ten minutes, you've made it! You are home, the bra is coming off, and the fun is about to start!
Waiting patiently for your roommates to come home/your friends to come over
Although you're day's finished, that doesn't necessarily equate that your girls are also free and able to get this party started. So you clean your apartment, pluck your eyebrows, make some tea, watch some Netflix, pretty much anything to pass the time before your people arrive.
People have arrived and it's time to eat
FINALLY everyone is in the same room and it's time to get this party started...and no party can get truly started without getting some food down first.
Talking about going out but make no real effort actually get ready to go out
You'll start getting your makeup on once this episode of the Bachelor is over, or once you finish this bag of chips, or really at the end of whatever task is currently at hand, which is clearly more interesting than getting your thighs in that pair of skinny jeans.
Looking at the clock and realize, it's game time...and you're just not ready
You don't know when 4:30 turned into 10:30 but somewhere in between tacos and hearing about that guy in your roommates accounting class asking that freshman out via Twitter, time truly got away from you and you're starting to ponder if you even really want to go out.
Breaking out the wine because, well, if you're going out you may as well have one drink first.
Because one glass of vino never hurt anyone...
Getting into a really deep philosophical conversation about life its meaning and your role in it
You can't really identity how this conversation started but all you know is that you can't really stop talking about what it all really means, like really really means.
You start giving each other 'the look'
Better known as, 'are you thinking about how good yoga pants would feel right now also' look.
Weighing the options
Going out...not going out...going out...not going out
Changing into your PJs, putting your hair in a messy bun, getting comfy on the couch and getting ready for your girls night in
Because sitting at home with the girls watching a movie starring Ryan Gosling's abs and talking about life is much better than attempting to put on heels and eyeliner anyways!
Whether you believe astrology is a legitimate "science" or not, we have all found ourselves looking at our horoscopes from time to time. The 12 astrological signs all fall under one of four elements: air, water, earth, or fire. Air signs are rational, social, and love to communicate with others. Water signs are are emotional, intuitive, and mysterious. Fire signs tend to be passionate, creative, and adventurous. Earth signs are conservative, realistic, and loyal.
Each sign is determined by the relative positions of celestial bodies to ourselves at our moment of birth, which is said to influence our personalities. Find your zodiac GIF below, based on the traits and characteristics provided by each sign.
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