Fallin' In Love

With morning temps dipping into the 40s combined with the fact that I actually turned on my heater for a few hours last week, it’s safe to say that fall has officially arrived. Forget April showers and summer beach trips and don’t even mention frigid winters marked with frosty windshields and treacherous ice patches, fall, by far, is my absolute favorite holiday ever!

The beauty of the changing foliage is absolutely breathtaking. From my perch near the mountains in northern Georgia, the world seems to explode from a blur of green to a spectacular patchwork of reds, oranges and browns. After such a stiflingly hot summer, we are finally able to enjoy the outdoors as opposed to suffering through it while making a run for the next air conditioned space. There seems to be a fall festival every other day with traditional favorites like hayrides through pumpkin patches, fried pies and corn mazes. Oh, and then there’s Halloween! Ok, I‘m giddy.

For working girls, however, fall also brings with it a new set of challenges and changes. The mornings are much cooler, which presents somewhat of a problem for me as both a working girl and a working mom. I never mastered that whole layering concept so I worry that my children will be cold in the morning if they aren’t in pants and jackets but hot in the afternoon if they are. Wardrobe for me can be tricky as well. In my office, its cold year ‘round (we run our little personal space heaters mid-summer), but now with the lower morning temps, it’s even colder, yet, it’s too early to break out the cowl necks and leggings because by the time I head out for lunch, its balmy and beautiful. My strategy involves blasting the heat in my car then throwing on my office cardigan when I get in.

The weather’s not the only thing changing right now either, so am I. I crave soups and casseroles, soufflés and homemade baked goodies. I’m shifting from constant activity on the weekend to curling up with a book or the latest DVD release. The light hits my apartment differently, allowing more light to hit the patio and pour into the windows on that side of the building. While people in the thousands are starting to feel the initial stings of Seasonal Affective Disorder, I’m up an out on Saturday morning enjoying the crisp air.

In a few months, the crush of winter will be upon us, the winter holidays will be in full effect so I’m going to enjoy every second of my favorite season then sit back with a cup of cocoa and wait patiently until spring. How is the seasonal shift affecting you? Are you grieving for summer or celebrating with me? What are the changes and challenges that fall brings you?