I know what you’re thinking.

“This is the most typical girl article possible” and you’re DAMN right. Hell yeah it is. Besides the fact that allergies are absolutely kicking my ass, fall is seriously the coolest season ever. For me, it just makes every aspect of life better. I mean, there’s so much to look forward to and the weather is amazing and especially here in Nebraska, it is so, so beautiful. Fall has so many wonderful traits, and if you’re for any reason unfamiliar with a single one of them, well, I got you.

1. FIRST OFF. HALLOWEEN.

When I was little and lived here in Nebraska, Halloween was something to really look forward to! Your costume was always fun to pick out, and trick or treating was lit. I remember sitting in the basement with a ton of my little child friends and we would all just eat candy and chat about our child problems like our crayons or whatever. When I was a pre-teen and moved to Kansas, Halloween wasn’t the same. Nobody left their lights on at night for trick-or-treaters, and ONLY children went trick or treating IF they could, and the only way to was driving far away to a super wealthy neighborhood. Everyone did it, too, so it was jam-packed. It took the fun out of Halloween. Here in Nebraska, you can literally be any age and still go trick or treating. I’m 18 and you bet your ass I’m gonna go stuff a pillowcase with as much candy as I can and I’m gonna get pixie sticks for DAYS. Nebraska is winning when it comes to Halloween.

2. Nebraska is a middle state, so the weather is GREAT.

People say Nebraska weather is bipolar, but really, it isn’t. I’ve traveled so much and lived in so many places that are WAY more unpredictable than Nebraska weather. Here in Nebraska during the fall, it remains a solid 50-60 degrees, maybe 70 tops during the fall. Just enough to wear some comfy jeans, a comfy shirt, and a lightweight jacket. Heck, I’m even wearing flip flops with leggings just because the weather is so nice. It’s typically sunny during the fall here, and typically, there’s not a cloud in the sky. The fall season sets in THE DAY that fall begins, and the leaves change color. It’s all perfect timing, and the change of colors along with the mix of great weather creates an amazing atmosphere. Seriously, it gets even the biggest introvert outdoors. There’s no doubt in my mind that Nebraska is the BEST place for fall.

3. Have I mentioned Roca Berry Farm yet?

I haven’t been there in years, but you bet I’m planning on going ASAP. Roca, as I remember it, isn’t far from Lincoln, and it’s literally a playground for any age. There are several haunted houses to walk through, super cheat homemade donuts and apple cider, and the Psycho Path and Haunted Hayrack Ride are both so much fun I can’t begin to describe it. The best thing to do is go in the evening, between 6 or 7ish, and enjoy the haunted house's first before it gets dark. Then, when it gets dark, wait for the long long line for the Psycho Path to set in, and if it’s just right outside, they’ll light a couple of fire pits next to the line to keep everyone warm. I loved being decked out in my jeans and lightweight jacket and gloves, drinking apple cider with my buddies and standing by the fire. The smell of fall just lingers everywhere and the mazes of corn surrounding Roca make it feel very… Nebraska-y. If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend that you go.

4. Orchards

DUDE. These things sound so so lame to people, and being a city girl, I’m surprised that I enjoy them so much. But apple orchards and so much fun and they are SO cool. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love apples and stuff like that. Once in Michigan, I spent money buying over 75 pounds of apples and it was the best purchase I ever made. There are still pies and cobbler in my freezer from all the things I made with those apples. Plus, at the orchards, you get to pick your own stuff. You get to choose whichever mix of whatever apples you like (honeycrisp are the best, though) and you can just snack along the way. Well, I don’t know if you actually can, but I do. I love cooking and baking and whatnot, and it just really puts you in such a good mood after a long day or week or month or life or whatever. It gets me so excited, but it is pretty expensive.

5. Everyone actually tries when they put their costume together.

It pisses me off SO much when a girl runs around wearing a white shirt and bunny ears and calls herself a bunny. Like, that’s her effort. Or a dude will go around wearing a red shirt that has “NETFLIX” written on a piece of paper and taped to it. Here in Nebraska, people actually give a crap and will try. This year, I bought a full on fox costume and went to the store and bought a mask and gloves. I’m stoked because had I done this in my hometown, people would think I was a furry, or that I was just too into the holiday. No, you’ll straight up see some pretty impressive outfits going on. Things beyond your wildest imagination. It’s pretty neat, just going outside and seeing everyone's fancy ideas and effort. People appreciate the effort, too! Getting compliments on the money you spend on a costume or anything feels good, right? Well, you’ll be drowned in compliments here. I love the positivity it brings out in people. You can literally be an idiot and dress exactly like Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls did at that Halloween party, and people will be like, “Dude, sweet blood on your teeth.”

6. People actually put effort into their outfits!!!!!!!

Maybe it’s just me, actually no it’s not. Here in Nebraska, people actually DRESS REALLY CUTE in the fall. Why does this matter? It doesn’t, it’s just festive. I love the idea of sweats and sweaters and feathery earrings and whatnot. I get that some girls wear the same stuff sometimes (the whole ugg boots and leggings thing) but in the past couple of years, people have been changing it up! You better believe I’ll sport my leggings pretty often, but instead, I’ll wear flip flops or if I do wear boots, they’ll be furry or plaid or whatever else. Others have caught onto that as well! The dudes get into it too with fancy cardigans and scarves. I don’t know about you, but I love a man in a cardigan and a scarf. It seems as though people's outfits just stand out more. The chilly weather and warmth of clothing is pretty soothing to my soul. Not gonna lie. Plus, stocking caps are always a fun option, but never doable in the summer.

7. This one’s for the ladies

I know I’m not the only one, but I love fall because the sun isn’t blazing hot, and therefore it doesn’t take my nice brunette hair and bleach the hell out of it. During the fall, I can dye my hair a nice dark color and it will actually stay dark rather than bleaching and turning weird colors. During the summer, I let my hair kinda run wild and free with an auburn-ish brown, and it’ll eventually just slowly bleach itself into a near red color. During the fall, I’ll just throw a pitch black or dark brown-black into my hair, and it just stays. That’s the way I like it, too, since it just fits into the fall atmosphere and, I think we all can agree that lighter hair colors look best in the summer, and darker colors look best in the winter. So, coming up to winter, I think it’s socially acceptable to be able to freely express my hair rather than letting it express me. In Nebraska, since fall is perfect weather and lasts quite awhile, it just makes dying your hair and changing your style a lot easier.

8. For those of you who enjoy taking photos…

Scenery is a well-loved and appreciated type of photography for any photographer, or even those who just like taking photos. Luckily, in Nebraska, we can appreciate fall long enough to get a wide range and variety of photos of the scenery. If you enjoy traveling as much as I do, there’s every reason in the world and more to take your car and camera and just travel around Nebraska. The photos you get will be outstanding, I promise. You have so much to work with between the color and the change in atmosphere around Nebraska. Nebraska is the best for this BECAUSE of the type of land that Nebraska has. We have the mix of city and country, rolling hills and flat plains, just a change of atmosphere almost every ten miles you drive. Any photographer from Nebraska can tell you, there’s a reason they reside here specifically rather than anywhere else in the world. Nebraska has some really cool sights, too, and during the fall, they’re simply at their best.

9. Fall means football.

Nebraska is a huge football state. Probably the BIGGEST fan of football a state could possibly be. Everyone that lives here, and I mean EVERYONE is a Husker fan. If they’re not, they either don’t live here, or JUST moved here. When fall hits, everyone knows that game season has begun. This means football shapes sugar cookies, cooling winds during the heated games, and red is a color of fall, so it all just ties in too well. Football in Nebraska is a huge deal, and since football season lies in fall, everyone waits ALL year long for the fall season to hit just to enjoy football. Plus, the Huskers have been kicking some major ass this season, so there’s always a reason to celebrate. Every Saturday, as fall kicks in, it’s pretty uplifting to open up the windows and hear people chant and holler for the team outside, and it makes fall a special thing here in Nebraska. We bond through many things here, and football is the one thing that brings the entire state in as a family. We have something special here, and since it’s happening during the fall season, that alone is a huge reason why fall in Nebraska is the best.

10. The Omaha Zoo

Right before winter hits, the Omaha Zoo is a great place to go during the fall. It’s a comforting atmosphere and climate not just for the people in Nebraska, but for the outdoor animals, too. Summers can be hot for the animals with fur, it’d be like us wearing thick jackets and pants everywhere during the summer. During the fall, it’s a bit more bearable for the animals, so they tend to be a little more active outdoors. The tigers and the other outdoor animals are the most entertaining during this time as well. It makes for a nice date night, a nice girls night out, or just whatever else you make out it. Other places have really cool zoos, but the Omaha Zoo is cool especially because of its size, and the ability to allow people to flow in and out of buildings as they please. I’ve been to the zoo at almost every season of the year, and let me say, summer is the worst especially because again, it’s just way too hot. When you’re traveling indoor to outdoor every thirty minutes, you’re either drowning in a freezing air-conditioned building, or burning up outside. During the fall, most of the climates can intertwine and it makes adjusting a lot easier too. It makes the zoo a very enjoyable place to visit during the fall.