Autumn

I love fall. I'm pretty sure I've written about that before. I enjoy all the seasons, and particularly the fact that they pass so I don't get too tired of any season before it is replaced by the next one in line. But fall's my favorite. Which means that it's the one I miss most here in eternal-springtime-Quito.

When people back home start posting pictures of the leaves turning and taking their kids or youth groups to a pumpkin patch or on a hay ride, I can't help but feel a little sad that I'm missing out.

Fall is meant to be enjoyed with all of your senses. Seeing the vibrant red and yellow leaves and the jack-o-lanterns glowing on the porches. Smelling that crispy scent of dying things outside and the warm scents of spicy, pumpkin-y things inside. Feeling the snap of the first hard frost. Tasting fresh apple cider and even those horrible little candy corns. Hearing the crunch of the leaves and the crackle of the bonfires.

Here in Quito, the weather's been about the same since I got back. If it's a cloudy day it's cool. If it's a rainy day it's cold. And if it's a sunny day, it's warm. But regardless of what type of day it is, the temperature rarely deviates more than about 20 degrees. We look at the calendar here to determine what season it is. My brain has lost the ability to just KNOW where we are in the year. I have to think about the month, then about what season that month falls in at home. It's a weird process to go through after spending the first 27 years of my life just KNOWING. But I guess for now I'll just have to settle for knowing that it's fall...somewhere. If you're "somewhere", please enjoy some fall for me, ok?