Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it – the weather, the holidays, the sales you find shopping -but most of all, I love the way the entire world changes around me.

Everything goes through this magical transformation in preparation for the cold winter months ahead. It’s remarkable, really.

Last year, either in late October or early November, I decided that I had to go out to Lake Charleston to “look at the trees.” I wanted to take some pictures and relax, maybe forget about the schoolwork I had piling up. But what happened was something I was not prepared for, something that would change a part of me in a way I never could have imagined.

That afternoon, I gathered my camera and a few friends, and we drove out to the lake. We parked the car, and started walking around, goofing off and just enjoying the beautiful end of the day. When the sun began to set, we decided to sit on the rocks near the shore and watch the show.

I began to feel overwhelmed as I watched the blue sky turn vibrant shades of orange, red and pink, much like the colors of the newly changed leaves on the trees that served as a horizon for the setting sun. I honestly cannot describe in words how absolutely extraordinary the scene was. We all sat there staring at the world around us completely awestruck. Then I started crying. Actually, I think it’s pretty safe to say I sobbed.

At this point in my life, I never had learned to appreciate the free things in life. All at once I was hit with these feelings of freedom, beauty, and power-everything I saw in that sunset. At that point I couldn’t think of anything else. I couldn’t feel the stress of life. I didn’t remember any of the problems I had. Most of all, I was happy.

It felt like hours passed as I watched the sun sink below the horizon, and then it was time to leave. We walked slowly back to the car, all of us wishing that one sunset could have lasted just a little while longer.

That day I asked myself, “Why can’t the sunset last a little longer?” Beauty is everywhere. All we need to do is slow down. Stop rushing everywhere in life. We live in a world of time restrictions and chaos. Leave for class a few minutes early, and actually see the world around you. Set a few minutes out of your day to just reflect on the good things in your life. Happiness doesn’t need to come from great, big productions. Maybe it’s the sound of laughter. Or maybe it’s the smell of cinnamon rolls in the morning. It could be just in the face of someone passing by.

As Eddie Cantor once said, “Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast-you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”

Kate Vandermeer can be reached at 581-7942 or knvandermeer@eiu.edu

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