This summer has come and gone in a flash, as most seasons tend to do. My favorite season has to be fall; even though that means the beginning of the fall semester again, it also means a ton of good weather (ideally) and a lot of fun before it gets cold and bare outside. Here are a few reasons why fall is absolutely the best.

1. The weather

Need I say more? Although the end of summer/beginning of fall can often be a bit on the warm side, I love weather that just barely requires a light jacket. Breezy and beautiful (not Covergirl, but you get the picture) is my style. I love the kind of weather I can just sit outside and enjoy without sweating through all of my clothes.

2. The shots

I can't even call myself an amateur photographer, but fall gives me more inspiration than any other season to take a photo. My friend who also loves photography (and orchestrates photoshoots on the side) also likes the fall season for the spooky inspiration, and participating in different shoots gives me a creative outlet as well.

3. The colors

I don't know a season more beautiful. Being completely surrounded with nature's blanket of colors is awe-inspiring and comforting to me. Somehow it's reassuring to see the trees shed their cover of green until they're completely bare, only to be graced with buds and new growth again a few months later. To me, that's the epitome of what life truly is.

4. The fires

Bonfires in the summer are okay...but fires in the fall are just meant to be. Sitting by a cozy fire on an autumn night with a slight nip in the air...you can probably imagine it now and how it feels. Between the heat of the fire and the smell of the wood burning, there's not much else that marks the fall season as best as this.

5. The cozy clothes

Okay, so you can wear boots in the summer, but it's not highly recommended. Between the sweaters, scarves, jeans and boots, I love fall for all the clothes I can dig back out of my closet. And you best believe I have a scarf for every inspiration. Although I dress business casual for work, I feel like I have many more options for fall dress than any other season.

6. The nostalgia

For some reason fall gives me more nostalgia than any other season. I love to look back and think of the fall seasons I spent as a child. My dad would rake up all the leaves just so I could bury myself right in the middle of it. Growing up, fall represented a time of quiet and peace, and the changing leaves and beautiful scenery just added to those feelings.

7. Thanksgiving

Undoubtedly always my favorite holiday (family and food, how can you go wrong?), Thanksgiving is a time where my family traditionally cooks a bunch of food and gets together to give each other a hard time...I mean, spend time together...

8. The road trips

Taking a day or two trip out of town or camping for the weekend can be an awesome way to enjoy the season. Granted, you want to check the weather so it's not too chilly when you're camping (but that's what fires are for, right?!). A great place to enjoy both the scenery and the weather while camping is in Brown county (for those of you from Indiana), which is just south of Nashville, Indiana.

There's a lot more reasons why fall is pretty amazing...what are yours?