Posts tagged family

21 hour drive from NY to Disney’s Old Key West = collapse. But we made it (and I only drove the last few hours) and now begins our vacation!

Hmm, my Dad thinks I’m a liar. Like, to the point where I will tell him something, flat out yes-or-no and he says he doesn’t believe me and that he thinks I am dishonest with him a lot.

Then again, he also thinks I spite him and don’t like my family. Its a very surreal experience having a conversation with him. We’ve reached the point where neither of us seems to really respect what the other is saying.

Also, he angrily yelled at me to “shut up” and my brother thought he was calling him. Tells you something about what kind of mood he is in when he usually calls us, but it was actually funny at the time. Same thing happened earlier in the year when he yelled “Shut the hell up” and my sister (gabrielle- shut the hell, get it) came running.

The weather is cooling, the breeze is blowing and the leaves are changing color. Students are returning, holidays are approaching… Fall is nearly here.

Fall has always been my favorite season, for many reasons. First, I love the weather. Summer is too hot, Winter too inconvenient, and Spring never appealed to me in the same way. In fall, you put on a sweatshirt and jeans, walk outside among the falling, colorful leaves and feel the brisk wind against your face - reminding you that you are alive.

It is also a season of new beginnings. The calendar year might begin during Winter, but the school year begins in the fall and for the last 16 years I have, gone by that calendar more than anything else. Being a nerd, I was always excited to go back to school. The chance to meet new friends, to learn new things… and fall reminds me of all that. I remember the feeling of anticipation, recognizing that there was untold potential in the coming school year. To me, Fall is a season of beginnings.

For the last few years, especially, it has also been a season of reunions. Being a college student, I often made friends with people who lived far away and during breaks I did not see them often. Over summer, my social network would change significantly, and the environment I lived in - the stresses and drama of home - was not as comforting. To return to school and live among friends again was a beautiful and inspirational thing to me, and one which I may miss now but I remember fondly.

To me, fall is the most social season. You meet new people, you see your old friends again, and you can do anything - you can still go out and enjoy a warm day at the beach, or a hike in the woods, but on cooler days it is great to stay inside where it is warm and watch a movie. The perfect balance between seasons and environments.

And besides, fall has some of the best Holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, my Birthday (haha). Holidays of fun, of adventure, of friends and family and appreciating what you have.

Further, Fall is a time when people gain an increased appreciation for life - as the leaves die all around us we are reminded of both our fragility and the blessing of our lives. Winter’s approach, with the assurance of an eventual Spring, remind us to enjoy what we have now.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to Fall.