Walking home this afternoon, a crisp autumn wind assailed my senses. Around me, the tree-lined avenues painted a beautiful scene as the surrounding woodlands covered the street in sunset-hued foliage. Leaves scattered on the ground, crunchy beneath my feet.

A breeze whisked by and stirred the fallen foliage. I paused to take it all in.

The air felt different. I could sense a subtle change in the atmosphere that left me oddly happy.

The scent of fall made me nostalgic. It brought back memories of days spent laughing in the backyard, raking leaves into neat piles soon to be ruined by soaring leaps into the mounds, which became flurries of color raining down around my brother and me.

Standing in the street, I thought of woolen scarves, zippered jackets, warm and comforting hugs. I remembered steaming mugs of hot chocolate and pumpkins set on porches, eagerly anticipating Halloween.

But the air’s fragrance didn’t just make me nostalgic. It made me hopeful.

Even though I had mountains of college applications to complete, laundry to sort through and homework to finish, I knew there was a better pile behind my back door. In my back yard were leaves to jump into, allowing me to relive my childhood and escape the stress.

I continued home, brimming with excitement. As I looked down at all the leaves in front of me, I lifted my foot and smiled. Crunch.