This afternoon as I was swinging in my hammock, re-reading a book and trying not to sweat, I started thinking about the seasons, fall in particular. Of course, other than rainy/dry there are no seasons in Guyana but it is now September and back home fall is about to begin. I have no idea what the actual weather is like back in the States but in my head I am picturing leaves changing colors, the air getting slightly cooler, and pumpkins and scarecrows starting to appear on people’s front porches. Fall is my favorite season by far and, while I am still absolutely in love with my Peace Corps experience, I felt a little twinge of sadness at the thought that I was about to miss out on another fall back home.
Fall is probably my favorite because I grew up in New England and, in my opinion there is nothing more beautiful than New England during the fall. I was suddenly flooded with memories of going to a pumpkin patch, riding on the tractor through the fields to find the absolute perfect pumpkin, and running through the corn maze. I could picture countless haunted houses, haunted forests, haunted fields, haunted anything and everything. Drinking apple cider and going to Stew Leonard’s to get their pumpkin soft serve ice cream.
It’s probably safe to say that most of the things I am missing about fall right now are food/drink related. As I sat in my hammock I suddenly remembered all the awesomely delicious foods that only appear during the fall. Pumpkin spice lattes and caramel apple cider at Starbucks. Pumpkin donuts and muffins at Dunkin Donuts. Sam Adam’s Oktoberfest. Whole Foods starts putting out all the really good Jew food in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; kugel and latkes and matzo ball soup. And don’t even get me started on Thanksgiving. If anyone can figure out a way to send me some Oktoberfest and latkes, you will be my best friend forever :)
Of course, I miss more about fall than the food. I think it’s more about missing the seasons changing in general. They changed 4 times a year, like clockwork, for 23 years, and it’s hard to get used to the fact that while I’m here they just won’t. I probably won’t really get used to it and then just when I’m about to, I will be back in the States :) And as much as I love the heat and the sun and the rain down here in the jungle, I’m still biased enough to think that a New England fall is just a little bit nicer. For now all I can do is just rock in hammock, close my eyes, and imagine colored leaves and haunted houses and apple cider.
