Awed by autumn

Fall was always my favorite season growing up. But the past six years in Cambodia, my only hints of autumn came during an education conference in Korea one November, and one October around my brother's wedding. Mostly, I just wistfully viewed photos of lavish leaves and cozy sweaters from afar. So autumn was a definite perk of my decision to pursue grad school in the US. I wanted to experience the complete season, from the first yellowing leaf to the last brave blade of grass fighting to poke through the snow.

Still, I wondered. After all this time away, have I built it up too much in my mind? Will I enjoy the sharp winds and bulky layers after six years convincing myself that Permasweat is the new normal? And what aspects of fall will catch me off-guard?

In brief: no, mostly yes, and several. Let me describe my forays into fall festivities.

Pumpkins
Obviously the US has a slight pumpkin obsession this time of year. I've somehow made it to mid-November without a single pumpkin spice latte (I'm a cheapskate and not a huge fan of coffee), but I've munched on various pumpkin-y dishes, including this awesome curry. I thought Americans' reliance on canned pureed pumpkin was just out of laziness, and I missed putting fresh pumpkin into soups and stir-fries like I used to in Cambodia. (Pumpkin there is cheap and oh-so-delicious!) So when a decorative pumpkin was dropped and cracked, I decided to chunk it up and add it to a chickpea masala. To my surprise, it was super-bland. Next time, I'll go for a pie pumpkin variety or stick to butternut squash.

I also carved a jack-o-lantern with the kids I babysit. Eight-year-old Michaela drew a cat design that I then carved. It brought back memories of dorm life, when in a fit of absent-mindedness, I whittled away at the top of the pumpkin I was carving, smoothing it to the point that the lid fell right through. I still get teased about that. This time there was no danger of that, and the carving itself went as well as could be expected given my artistic ability limited time, but apparently the pumpkin thought a fur coat would complete the look. Here it is 9 days later, on Halloween night. 

Outdoorsy Stuff

I know these aren't specific to autumn, but I've especially enjoyed camping, hiking, and jogging this fall. Namely, it's possible to do them without sweating. In Cambodia, by contrast, there were few moments throughout the year that I could walk half a mile without feeling a bit sticky.

I was hesitant about planning a camping trip in late September, but it was wonderful - just chilly enough for me to appreciate the campfire. Three friends and I recreated a camping trip that our families used to do together each fall when I was in high school. This was actually my first time camping without my family, and my first time back at Spruce Lake in about 13 years.

I'm still learning how to dress for fall jogging, but my lesson from yesterday: for 40's temperatures, I need gloves (oops!) and long sleeves but no sweatshirt. I jogged for miles with my friend Capri, well after sunrise, and sweated so little that I didn't even feel embarrassed joining her family for breakfast afterward. Inconceivable! 

Holidays

This year is my first time in forever to be with family for a birthday since most of us were born in the fall. We've carried on birthday traditions like turtle cake and Mississippi Mud cake. I'm used to being the one who misses all the family gatherings, and now I'm usually a hostess and always in the thick of the action. I'm savoring this role while it lasts!

Everyone came in for my mom's birthday/Labor Day and we did family photos in honor of my parents' 30th. 

I also got to be present for the local election, in which (shame on me) I abstained as usual. I want to be a good citizen, but I don't even remember what half those job titles mean, let alone who's running for them. I'd like to feel at least a bit informed before helping steer the future of my community. On the other hand, I've had p l e n t y of input on the presidential election, although it's still nearly a year away. :/ I suppose it still beats the Cambodian elections, which had me packing a go-bag due to escalating tensions.

Something that made me feel like an foreigner: somehow I knew that Canada's Armistice Day was November 11, but I had no idea when Veterans* Day was.** Why would I not be able to remember that?

*I thought there was an apostrophe here somewhere, but the Internet said no.

**Hint: It's the same as Armistice Day.

Daylight Saving

Of course it was fun to "fall back" and sleep in an hour. And I do appreciate that it's light out when I wake up. But it turns out that despite its heroic name, Daylight Saving has a darker side. (Save daylight? It just stole it from my afternoon!) As this trailer so eloquently puts it, "They said it would help the farmers. They didn't know it would destroy everything else." That's one area in which I definitely prefer Cambodia to Pennsylvania - being so close to the equator, it has at least 11 hours of daylight even in winter. 

Leaves

As the only kid living with my parents this year, I finally learned how to use a leaf blower. (Back in the day, I think I was always on rake duty.) Here's our yard one week later. Yeah, we live in the woods.

Fallen leaves are a lot of work, it's true, but still beautiful. See how they're glistening in the rain?

When I moved from Vermont to Pennsylvania at age 12, I turned up my nose at the new display of fall foliage. This year, I've been nothing short of dazzled. I'm afraid I'll cause a leaf-peeper crash, the way I get distracted on my drive to Lehigh. Don't worry, I was on foot in my neighborhood for all these photos.

I didn't remember how the light could illuminate leaves while leaving the trunk as black as midnight.

Or that one leaf could have so many colors in it.

I forgot that a whole tree could be crimson all at once. Or that some trees could keep all their leaves when others were already totally bare.

I'm also finding the beauty in bare branches - something I'll have months to keep practicing. But for now, I'm contemplating the wonder in a creation that boasts this blazing glory only in places where a cold, grey winter is imminent. Cambodia has splashy tropical flowers all year, but its deciduous trees never look remotely this amazing. Meanwhile, places like Pennsylvania and Vermont, whose landscapes are usually more subdued, pull out all the stops this time of year. Can people store up beauty in their hearts to sustain them through the winter, like a squirrel with his cheeks full of acorns? For as long as I get to enjoy fall, I want to memorize enough of it to last me for years. I'm "hurrahing in harvest" and loving every minute.

There's one word that sums up how I feel about being back this fall...