There's a slight chill in the air in central NC. I can feel autumn clacking through my brain like the Headless Horseman on a foggy night in Sleepy Hollow. Last week, despite my desire to stay in bed, I tossed a cardigan over my shoulders and went to class. Chemistry can be pretty boring, but normally I can focus on the lectures. As soon as fall came breezing through, everything turned to static- even my attention span.

It's funny how a changing of seasons can funk up our perception. Some researches have said it has to do with the shifts in sunlight. It has also been linked to a change in barometric pressure. Then there's the need to slow down and prepare for hibernation. Though humans don't exactly hibernate, our bodies do react to everything napping around us, and the cold messes with our body temperatures, causing our blood vessels to narrow and bodies to shiver. It takes energy for our bodies to maintain homeostasis.

This sluggishness was also followed by the familiar cool-weather urge to push aside my nightly salad and shove my face into a pot of mashed potatoes. Like the squirrels harvesting their acorns, us humans feel the need to harvest fat. Survival of the fittest! And by harvest fat, I mean gorge on ham, pies, candied apples, hot chocolate and Boo Berry cereal, (Mmmm Boo Berry cereal....).

Even though the merge from summer to fall wreaks havoc on our bodies, I'm welcoming it. Bring on the gorgeous colors of North Carolina's changing leaves and the smell of pumpkin spice. I'm ready for boots, jeans, soft sweaters, crocheted scarves, and other fall fashion necessities. I've never been more excited about scary films and watching Jamie Lee Curtis scream in a closet for the hundredth time. Most importantly, I'm looking forward to family. Their always worth feeling a little static.