I love autumn.
I love the real people I know who blog.
So I combined all of these things to create a lovely series of real, Chicago, falltime celebration happiness!
This first post is by a friend I know through InterVarsity. She was technically a student of mine, but I've learned so much from her myself. I find Rachel to be darling, sophisticated and wonderfully goofy, and I'm sure you will too ...
Taylor asked me to write something for her near the end of August, I was honored that she considered my blog substantial enough to be on the list of people to be asked to contribute. Hopefully the fact that I'm writing this now, a week and a half after the due date, about 4 days even after the extended due date that she gave me doesn't demerit this thought.
So, here I am, late as has a constant (and troublesome) theme throughout my life, writing about what I'm excited about for fall. And in all honesty I will explain why I was late in writing this: I didn't know what to say. Of all the wonderful, new things to do in the fall I couldn't come up with one to write about. Everything I came up with was either too far away to be feasible, not Chicago-y enough, or too expensive for me to do. So instead, I bring you a list of the little things that make me exuberantly excited that fall is finally here.
1. Dressing in layers. I am currently wearing a three-quarter length shirt, a tee shirt, a sweater, and jeans. Upon going outside (a daily requirement for me), I will add a jacket, a scarf, a mocasins. I love the millions of options that you get with the opportunity to layer clothes on top of each other. It brings a mix of textures, fabrics and weights. It also builds up to me wearing my new winter jacket purchased this past summer (long story).
2. Apples and apple flavored things. This is sort of a summer into fall kind of thing, but dosen't apple pie and apple cider just scream of autumn? If you're into pumpkin (I'm not), then this is also the perfect season for that. The species like cinnamon and nutmeg bring the perfect amount of warmth to go with the chill in the air.
3. Tea. I've become absolutely obsessed with tea. And fall is when I make the switch back to hot tea from all the iced tea I've been drinking all summer. I was also just introduced to Argo Tea, a starbucks-like tea cafe near my apartment. They have cold tea drinks and hot tea drinks and loose leaf tea to be poured from those canisters that you find in grocery stores or candy stores where you press down on the lever to fill a bag with dry tea to be purchased by the pound.
4. School starting again. If life were Harry Potter I would be a Ravenclaw (still waiting to register for Pottermore to confirm that one). I love school and honestly I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the fall between graduating collage and (one day) having kids. It will become a very awkward time of year.
5. Packing lunches again. School starting again means that at least twice a week I pack myself lunch or dinner to eat on campus. Having learned from my Mom's fantastic homemade lunches I pack a lot of food and always have something in a thermos. I've got two, one for a hot main dish and one for tea (!!) with a “cafe top”. Omnomnomnom.
6. The juxtaposition of the new things sprouting up, and the weather dying out. This one's a little more thematic and less physical. I love the growth that I see through people in school, though the new ideas and new opportunities that continue to pop up throughout the season, I especially love how this is all happening amidst the “death” if you will that fall is. As much as I think this is the most beautiful season, the only reason that the leaves change colors and the season turns is because of the death that is happening in nature around us. It's a beautiful death, but a death nonetheless.
7. The colors! This death doesn't make me stop appreciating the beautiful colors. The leaves change into glorious reds, oranges, and yellows that I have the privilege of getting to see on my walk to class every morning. I love the chance to see the season change which I feel can be harder to see in other season transitions.
8. Being back in Chicago! For me Fall means moving back to Chicago to start school. During the summer and pretty much any time I'm not in Chicago I live in San Francisco. I love the change of scenery and the different setting of Chicago. Back home I live in a nearly suburban neighborhood whereas here in Chicago I am in the heart of the city. It's a great change of pace and I'm always happy to be in this wonderful city.
9. The perfect biking weather. I don't know what more to say about this. Fall in Chicago bring the perfect biking weather, hands down. The perfect amount of chill in the air so I don't boil, but not so much that I freeze.
There we have it, all the reasons that Fall in Chicago is amazing. A part of me wants to think of something else so that there can be an even ten, but nine is my favorite number, so I think I'll leave it at that.
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