I love the fall. Let me rephrase that: I love Minnesota fall. Missouri always felt a little too warm for real fall. Not enough trees, not enough color. I have found that Pennsylvania’s fall is a lot like Minnesota’s. We went to Gettysburg at the perfect time. Right before all the trees were bare and right after they had all turned colors.
There’s a tree right outside our window and its limbs reach over our little balcony. It’s turned a bright yellow color, and it makes me happy every time I see it. But the branches are becoming a little sparse now. It makes me wonder why I love fall so much when so many things are dieing to get ready for the long winter. I think it was something I decided many years ago after a trip to an apple orchard or after picking out pumpkins to be carved for Halloween. And it has stuck with me.
And maybe now, I’m so excited that it’s fall because when I’m surrounded by so many things that are unfamiliar or unsure, I cling to the things that are familiar, no matter how inane they may be. For my birthday, my wonderfully clever husband bought me the first season of Gilmore Girls. I have probably seen almost all of episodes from this series two or three times. Yet, I still laugh at Lorelei and Rory’s witty banter, and I still feel for them when they experience heartbreak. When I have a bad day at work, it’s like I need a little bit of Lorelei Gilmore in my life.
It’s been a while since I have been in Minnesota for the fall. Sometimes when I step out the door here, I smell the same crisp fall smells that I remember from Minnesota. It brings me back to the apple orchards where I spent time with my family. That’s why fall time usually makes me especially homesick, but right now, I’m experiencing the wonderful things of fall with new people in a new city. I know that I must move forward and make the most of our time here. But it’s still nice to have some of the familiar things to remind me where I came from and to give me strength to keep going forward.
