This Whole Season Thing
Right, so every year I get stupidly excited about one season. Autumn. Folks call it Fall, whatever. But what actually makes it the best? I figured just saying “cozy vibes” wasn’t cutting it. Time to figure out why, for real. Grabbed my beat-up notebook and decided to track it.
The Big Plan (Or Lack Thereof)
Started simple. Went outside. Like, actually just stood in the driveway one chilly Tuesday morning after scraping frost off my car windshield. Cold air hit my face. Sharp. Woke me up better than coffee. Okay, point one.
Made a list in my phone, titled it “Autumn Stuff I Like”:
- Leaf colors? Kinda obvious…
- That crispy feeling underfoot? Yeah…
- The smell? Like dead leaves but… good?
- Pumpkin spice nonsense? Meh, overrated.
- Food? Stews? Apple stuff? Definitely.
Felt dumb immediately. Too vague. Needed concrete proof it was better than soggy summer or freezing winter.
Getting Down To Actual Business
Forced myself outside way more. Evenings mostly, after work. Walked the same boring route near my house. Week one: still green leaves. Thought, “Great, wasted effort.” But kept going.
Started noticing stuff I normally ignored:
- The exact day I felt that cold snap in the air that meant summer was properly dead.
- Noticed this one maple tree in Mr. Henderson’s yard turning fire-engine red a whole week before anything else. Became my marker.
- That smell? Tracked it. Was strongest after 3 days of dry weather followed by a light rain. Wet earth, old wood, kinda sweet decay.
- Food experiment time. Made a giant pot of beef stew instead of grilling burgers. Sat outside wrapped in a blanket. Steam rising off the bowl, watching my breath mist in the air… felt ridiculously content. Big data point.
Tried capturing the “crispy feeling.” Got weird looks stomping through my local park deliberately crunching leaves. Discovered the absolute best crunch is at midday when leaves are dry but haven’t turned totally brittle yet. Afternoon light hitting red/gold leaves overhead? Magic.
The Unexpected Part That Tied It All Together
Okay, this part got personal. We tried to have this perfect cider tasting bonfire thing. Invited a few friends. Planned it for peak leaf colors.
Total disaster:
- Couldn’t keep the fire lit for hours. Windy as heck.
- Spilled hot cider all over my favorite flannel shirt.
- One friend was freezing and complained constantly.
- Leaf colors were barely showing.
Finally got the fire properly roaring. We sat on cold folding chairs wrapped in blankets laughing about how awful it was. The heat from the fire actually felt earned. The dark crept in, just us huddled close in that little bubble of warmth, stars coming out sharp above. Someone passed around cheap chocolate bars. Absolute silence except for the crackling fire.
That was it. Not the perfect colors, the perfect crunch, the perfect stew. It was the effort. The contrast. Shoving against the cold and the dark and winning just a little space of light and warmth. It felt real. Earned.
So, Yeah…
Turns out what makes Autumn the best isn’t just pumpkin crap or pretty leaves. It’s actively seeking that connection with the season changing. Feeling the chill, smelling the change, finding warmth against the dark. It’s a season you have to participate in, not just watch. You gotta stomp those leaves, feel that cold air burn, huddle around some heat source you fought to make. That’s the special sauce. The rest is just background decoration. Pretty decoration, but not the main event. Guess I’ll need a thicker notebook next year… maybe track if hot chocolate > hot cider?
