Things To Love About Fall

Hi, friends!

Since I haven't experienced actual seasons in the past two years, I sometimes like to pretend that the weather outside is less frightful than it is. If I keep all the blinds closed and wear seasonal clothing (inside my air-conditioned house), it sort of works.

Living here has made me think a lot about all the things I'm now missing out on. I never thought to be grateful that I could wear a jacket in October until I moved somewhere that made me feel like I was burning when I wore a long-sleeved shirt a few days before Halloween. The post I made listing things I miss about Washington is my version of Frodo and Sam talking about the taste of strawberries when they were climbing Mount Doom. (It also feels like an orcless Mount Doom here for a good portion of the year.)

I might hate this town, but at least it's making it really easy to write about how awesome places other than here are!

If you live somewhere that has a temperature range beyond 60 to 115 degrees, here are some wonderful things to smile about during autumn:

- Maple leaves covering the ground
- Seeing your breath outside for the first time since winter ended
- Cloudy days that turn into rainy days
- The smell of the air being blown in your face by your car's heater
- Putting an extra layer on your bed to keep you warm at night
- Mornings that are foggy like a spooky London scene
- Using your back porch as extra fridge space when you need to keep things chilled for Thanksgiving dinner
- The perfect happiness of hearing stormy weather outside while you're reading a book next to a heating vent and/or under a blanket
- Pumpkin patches and pumpkin-flavored everything
- Seeing footprints in the grass where the cold dew has been disturbed
- Dressing in a lot of dark colors is more socially acceptable (and helps keep you warm when you're outside)
- Seasonal scented candles that make your house smell like apples and cinnamon
- Carving pumpkins
- Watching the leaves change colors and drop from trees
- Egg nog and candy corn show up in stores, if you're a fan of those
- Getting to wear hoodies, sweaters, jackets, and things other than shorts and t-shirts

Next time you experience any of those things, try to enjoy them a little extra for my sake. Appreciate your seasons; there are season-starved people in other parts of the world who only get scalding sun and sandblaster wind for dinner weather.

Love,
Lizzie