An Autumn State of Mind
I understand that this is incredibly basic and capitalistic of me, but I do love them. A PSL is a taste of fall in a disposable cup.
Today is September 1st, and, like every year around this time, I desperately try to manifest fall.
I start listening to my Autumn playlist on Spotify.
I begin playing Vince Guaraldi in heavy rotation.
I light fallish-scented candles.
And in a hail-mary last-ditch way, I watch the Weather Channel and pray to the weather gods that the cooler temps seen everywhere else in the USA will somehow find their way to Central Florida.
Maybe if I wish it hard enough or go through the right motions, perhaps even writing something “fallesque” and putting it all out into the universe might produce some appropriate fall weather.
Or, we might be in for another two months of hurricane watching and heat.
I went to college outside of Boston, and a few years ago, we spent some time in the woods of Kerhonkson, NY. These places encapsulate my ideal view of how fall should manifest itself. The sun is low in the sky, the days are short, and you feel a crispness in the air. The leaves are changing colors and falling from the trees. People have scarecrows, pumpkins, and hay bales in their front yard. You might even see a wild turkey or two walking down the street.1 A perfect evening is sitting around a fire pit, drinking warm, spiced cider and eating apple fritters and apple cinnamon donuts bought from the local farmer after a day of apple picking. This is fall.
Living in Florida, where the leaves don’t fall until spring, it is still averaging 90 degrees, and the sun doesn’t go down until 7:45–I have had to learn to shift that ideal vision. Instead of an actual incarnation of traditional fall elements–fire pits and changing leaves–fall becomes more of a mindset.
Because we don’t have seasonal change in Florida, two things serve as markers that fall has arrived. The first marker is harkened by the release of all things Pumpkin Spice2–specifically Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I understand that this is incredibly basic and capitalistic of me, but I do love them. A PSL is a taste of fall in a disposable cup. Even though the release date comes at the end of August, which is still blazing hot summer in Florida, this marketing ploy is society’s way of saying it is now socially acceptable to start obsessing over all things autumnal. While I used to try getting a PSL on their release day, I’m not that basic anymore. I feel pretty good as long as I have one by Sept. 1. The second marker is the release of cinnamon brooms in Publix. Around the same time, Publix starts selling decorative cinnamon-scented brooms that hang on your wall. Every year, I like to play the “buy one and see how long it takes Amanda to sniff it out and make me seal it up in a Ziploc bag” game. I find it hysterical– Amanda, who does not like their smell, doesn’t quite see the humor.
The temperature in my part of Florida will finally start cooling down toward the end of hurricane season. Typically, around Thanksgiving, the weather will be cool enough to open the windows. It is always refreshing when I am outside with the dogs in the early morning, and I feel that chill in the air–just teasing me that fall is almost here. The time will soon be upon us that I can pack up the portable AC that is running constantly in our main living area to help cool our house down.
Except for some orange fairy lights I string up behind my desk, we don’t decorate for fall. I know some people change their home decor to fall and Halloween themes, but as I stated previously, fall in Florida has to be a state of mind instead of a physical manifestation. I recognize that fall decorations might help manifest that mindset, but honestly, it just seems out of place to have decorations associated with cool, crisp air displayed in 90 degree weather (at least when we put Christmas lights up, it is much cooler outside).
In many ways, maintaining that state of mind falls (see what I did there?) under the grand answer to life–fake it until you make it (or it is actually fall-like outside).
I enjoy pumpkin spice, cinnamon brooms, the cooler weather, and a general sense of fall hygge, but what brings about those fall feelings I so desperately crave are the times our family will gather together: Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are my absolute two favorite times of the year. I love all things about both of these holidays–the preparations, the food, the music, the accoutrements, but most of all, I love that we are all together. Last week, I wrote about entering empty-nest territory–the last line in my previous essay was:
But this time of year is the antidote to feelings of sadness that come from your kids leaving: they come home.
While the feelings of fall might have to be imagined until they do actually arrive, the feelings of having your family around are real. One of my favorite things to do, as my kids have gotten older and found partners, is sit back and listen. Listen to them talk. Listen to them laugh. Listen to them yell good-naturedly and argue back and forth. Amanda and I have repeatedly said that our goal is not to raise good kids but to raise outstanding adults.
I think we have done a pretty damn good job.
As I write this, I’m sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks and trying to think of something autumnal to make for dinner. This is Labor Day weekend–I know to many, this is the last weekend of summer, but to me, this is the first weekend of fall. Everyone is home for the weekend. Atticus has come down from Gainesville, Asher is coming home from Tampa, and Zain, Bella, Quinn, and Ivy are all here. This is NOT a manifestation or state of mind; this is reality. And I will enjoy it more than my PSL, my fall scented candle, and my Autumn Spotify playlist.
(I would still love to trade hurricane watching for some much cooler weather…please?)
I kid you not, we were in New York, in a small town near our AirBNB. I was on my way to the grocery store in the morning for breakfast foods, and strutting down the street were two of the fattest Thanksgiving turkeys I had ever seen.
I usually scoff and roll my eyes at how everything has a pumpkin spice variety. In my opinion, the only things that should be pumpkin spice are desserts and coffee.