Falling into Autumn
Ahh fall...my favorite season as I’ve made appartent many times on this blog. There’s something about the crisp morning air and colorful leaves peeking out through the pine trees that just lifts my spirits. The deep, full scent of the earth as the harvest season ebbs and flows, tilling old crops under and sowing seeds for winter cover crops. Apples ripening in orchards, so tempting as they shine, hanging crisp and red on the branches. Fall holds many fond memories in my heart, and I hope I can continue to make more fond memories this season even during these crazy times.
As most long-time readers of this blog know, I’m a (sometimes unsolicited) list-maker. To-do lists, grocery lists, movie lists, books-to-read lists, bucket lists galore...if a list can be made about a subject, I’m your girl. So how else would I start the season other than by making a fall bucket list? For a quick recap, a few of the things on this summer’s list included:
Hiking/Exploring:
Mt. Killington
Mt. Hunger
Mt. Ellen
Camel’s Hump
Warren Falls
Kill Kate State Park
Red Rocks
Lake Willoughby
Rock Point
Salmon Hole
Oakledge
The Cape (MA)
Making:
Kombucha from scratch!
Many, many sourdough recipes (and I’m still only 40% finished with the challenge)
Gingerbread houses
Linen top (with the help of a friend’s sewing machine)
Doing:
Getting gelato at Shy Guy’s
Picnic dinners on North Beach
Biking around Vermont
Going on the causeway
Frech Picinic with the house
Blueberry picking!
Harvest Festival
And for this fall some of the things I hope to do include:
Hiking/Exploring:
Sterling Pond
Backpacking trip to the Adirondacks
Colchester Pond
Canada if the border opens up
Random places we stumble across
Making:
More sourdough!
Harvesting wild grapes for jam/jellies
Apple everything
Friendsgiving!
Doing:
Autumn Equinox celebration
Dance!
Getting into the swing of things for school
Biking 100 miles (One end of Vermont to the other, West to East)
Housemates arm wrestling match
I can never decide if it’s harder to schedule things in the summer when people have work or in the fall when school is in full swing along with club activities, homework, and random life stuff. With the pandemic going on as well it’s tough to plan things that are socially distanced with others and safe. Thankfully, outdoor activities are some of my favorite things to do. Hopefully this fall the weather will hold and allow many more sunny days filled with random adventures in the area. I’m very thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had this summer to get out and do things while still being socially responsible and I hope I’m able to continue doing so this fall along with my peers who have returned to university.
Personally, I have struggled with feelings of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), loneliness, unworthiness, feeling unlovable, and many other negative emotions that I’m prettty sure almost everyone else in the world has felt at some point. You would think that having a global pandemic occur where people are forced to stay in more often or distance themselves from others, have more solo time, etc. may change at least the feelings of FOMO, but alas, it’s not the case for me. My brain likes to compare myself to others more often than I’d like to admit, and dealing with those feelings of missing out when I see people interacting along with the fear of contracting the virus and trying to keep myself and my loved ones safe has been a fun mental battle in my head.
One of my long-term goals has been to balance solo and social fun. As an extroverted introvert I definitely need social time to feel fulfilled and connected, but I also need recharge time by myself. The difference between being alone and being lonely is often based on my mood for the day, the activity I’m doing, and whether or not doing it alone is by choice. If nothing else, being able to simply go outside by myself and breathe in the chilled fall air while sipping on a hot chai latte and sketching in the park or reading a book is one of the many solo events I’m looking forward to.