I absolutely love fall. As soon as I see one leaf change color, I throw on my sweater and head to the nearest haunted house and pumpkin patch.
Fall is a time of optimism and surprise. Everyone is excited about the chilly weather after a sweaty summer. The semester is just starting, and days are starting to slow down. Fall sparks a beginning to a season of movie marathons, rain puddles and specialty drinks.
Do not get me wrong: I love Starbucks, especially here at Ferris. There’s nothing better than a grande iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel during class. Also, I’m all about embracing my white girl exterior. I take that selfie and post it on Instagram with a dozen different hashtags with pride. But, although my small white girl exterior may fool you, I think a pumpkin spice latte (PSL) tastes like the melted wax of a fall candle.
I know, I know, my taste buds are broken. Honestly, I wish I could jump on the PSL bandwagon. But the PSL still has so much more wrong with it. First of all, Starbucks released the latte Aug. 28. I’m pretty sure the temperature was still in the upper 80s at that point. That is not during the cozy fall weather that these kind of drinks should be consumed in.
Second of all, the drink didn’t even contain pumpkin until 2015. Why would there be pumpkin in the title if there isn’t pumpkin in the drink? The drink is literally just coffee, milk and a ton of spices. So America’s favorite latte was living a lie until recently. If you’re someone who cares about sugar, a grande pumpkin spice latte has the same amount of sugar as five Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Personally, I would rather eat the doughnuts.
I am finally coming clean to the world. Fellow white girls, I apologize. I will willingly return my Uggs. Let us associate fall with more things than just a spicy drink. To me, fall is watching spooky movies in your pajamas, carving pumpkins and sitting by the warmth of a fire. A breath of fresh air before winter rushes in, fall is a beautiful time when trees shed their leaves in preparation for their well-deserved rest. Without fall, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the natural magic unique to Michigan and all of its treasures. I am thankful for it here in Big Rapids.