IT’S OFFICIALLY HOA HOA HOA SEASON: ‘TWILIGHT,’ FOG, AND FEELINGS

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The fog has begun to roll over the University of California, Berkeley. Everyone’s trading tank tops for thrifted cardigans, and the air smells faintly like cinnamon chai and midterm anxiety. It can only mean one thing: it’s officially Hoa Hoa Hoa season, and accordingly, The Twilight Saga is coming back to the cinemas this October. Social media is flooded with 2008 memes, and the soundtrack, featuring Bon Iver, Paramore, and Radiohead, feels as essential to fall as a pumpkin spice latte. 

Bella Swan is undeniably the ultimate fall protagonist. Though she spends half of the series sighing and rolling her eyes, she also endures rain, vampires, and impossible love, and that’s what makes her compelling. Watching her navigate a world of melodrama and emotional intensity is strangely comforting in October, because there is something human about her awkwardness, her hesitations, and the way she feels everything fully, even if she can be a little frustrating at times. She lives with heightened emotions in a chaotic world, and there is a strange pleasure in witnessing it all unfold with dramatic pauses, lingering glances, and endless fog. 

Even though I’m still new to Berkeley, I’ve started to notice small hints of autumn. A few foggy mornings have crept in, the air has a slight bite, and the campus feels quieter than usual. People are still wearing hoodies rather than scarves, and the leaves are just beginning to turn. Walking between classes, it’s easy to catch myself imagining these ordinary moments as a little more dramatic, like something out of Twilight. There’s a rhythm to the season: the fog over Sproul Plaza, the soft footsteps, the distant hum of conversation, and the cinematic melancholy of the season. It’s impossible not to get swept up in it. 

The pop culture renaissance only adds to the effect. TikTok memes remix iconic lines, the soundtrack inspires autumnal playlists, and the upcoming re-release of the movie franchise gives everyone a reason to revisit the story. There’s a joy in indulging in melodrama and nostalgia, and the combination of humor, music, and cinematic fog feels perfectly timed for fall. The movies themselves are slightly ridiculous, yet they provide a kind of emotional punctuation for the season, reminding everyone that it’s okay to feel everything all at once. 

Maybe that’s why I keep returning to her story each October. Watching Bella navigate love, angst, and endless rain reminds me to slow down, to embrace cozy melancholy, and to let myself feel fully. If stepping into Bella’s world for a few hours can make a foggy Berkeley morning feel cinematic, then honestly, I’m not complaining.