I’m ready for that annual fall transition
Summer has its high points, but for me autumn is more appealing
Summer is almost over, and I’m OK with that. I’m sure some of you are cursing me for noting our position on the calendar, as though my articulating it will somehow speed up time, but I assure you that my abilities don’t extend to weather manipulation.
To be clear, I do like summer. It’s certainly much easier to travel than it is in the winter, there are plenty of summer-specific activities and events to participate in, and it feels freeing to slip into a sundress, don a pair of shades, and walk out for an iced Americano, although I much prefer hot coffee. I even enjoy a beach every now and then.
But, I don’t tan well. I may appear a little darker in the summer, but it’s mostly because my freckles begin to join and create an orangey mosaic. It’s often uncomfortably hot, and as much as I love to be trapped at home in the midst of a thunderstorm, low pressure weather systems make me feel dizzy and fatigued. Picnics and patios seem like a lovely idea, but for me, bringing food or a drink outside in the latter half of summer is a surefire way to end up spilling said food or drink in a wasp-induced panic. I enjoy trips to the cottage, but I’m likely to spend a good chunk of my afternoons there hiding indoors with a coffee — or, let’s be honest, a glass of wine once it hits 12 p.m. — writing while others are down on the dock. I don’t do water sports. Period. Overall, I do like summer for what it is. However, I find it to be my least productive season, and that bums me out.
Not everyone thrives under the same conditions, but I get the sense that summer is an overwhelmingly popular time for people to feel their best. A great many just can’t get enough of those UV rays, and some even fall victim to cold-weather depression. I, on the other hand, find myself getting sluggish and less creatively stimulated when the temperature
and humidity skyrocket.
It’s usually about halfway to the autumn equinox that I start to feel like I’m over the whole summer thing, and begin looking forward to fall. Well, here we are.
I’ve already decided on and begun collecting my autumn fashion fixture, the thin and slightly oversized sweater that hangs “just so.” I’m not only collecting them, but wearing them, too. In fact, I’m wearing one right now. I wore one out to meet a friend for a glass of wine last night, even though I could have done with a little less sleeve on an August evening.
I’ve got those autumn feels, as the internet would say. I can’t wait for the leaves to change colour, for fall fairs to roll in, and for the air to crisp up like an apple. Speaking of apples, I’m looking forward to apples, and even more so to pumpkins. The thought of pumpkin-picking in a light scarf and boots makes my heart sing. Yes, there will probably be some wasps there, too, but by then they won’t be quite so chipper, and my thin and slightly oversized sweater will provide a moderate
protective barrier.
There’s really nothing at all that I don’t love about fall, except for the lingering wasp population, but I can endure that for the love of the harvest. I also adore winter, but I won’t speak of that eventuality quite yet.
I’m ready to transition from summer to fall in part because I love everything about harvest season, but also in part because I’m my best self in the fall and winter. As a self-employed writer, it can be difficult to stay motivated when the weather is sapping my energy, and outdoor activities are beckoning me to blow off a day of work.
I suppose that’s the crux of it. Summer is pretty fun, but I’m at my best when I’m doing what I love, and especially when I’m doing it in a thin and slightly oversized sweater, while sipping a hot coffee.