The Favorite Season.

Autumn is my favorite season.  Always has been, always will be.  The hardest part about not living in the east for me, is missing fall.  I love everything about Rexburg, but I just am filled with doubts that they will have a better fall than say Massachusetts.  Well, today, as I was walking around Rexburg after my class I was thinking about PA falls.  My heart was aching for some leaves, quaint small town traditions, and city lights.  Then, as if someone knew I needed a pick me up I saw a girl who I haven't seen in four years.  She was from PA!! This girl, who was unexpectedly run into, lived in PA, I was her camp counselor, and she moved away.  It was strangely comforting to see someone who knew my home.  It may have been just something simple, but to me it was everything I exactly needed at that point.

Then, on top of my aching for some Linvilla-esque place I walked by Hemming Village here in Rexburg.  Be still my soul-it looked like Media!  They were placing haystacks, orange lights, corn stocks, and old lanterns to help celebrate the fall season.  This may all sound like bogus to others, but to me I got butterflies in my stomach.  Happiness.  I was relieved of life's stress and worries for a moment as I was able to have a taste of home.  While in Rexburg, I'm usually typically pretty good about not missing PA, particularly because I am married to an Idahoan and I don't know where life is going to take us.  But, I have never been here in the fall.  It's a transition, and an acceptance that this is home.  But, while I'm typically good about not longing for my home in PA it still is rough when I long for familiar faces, familiar places, and just familiarity in general.  Basically, today I am filled with gratitude for the simple things of seeing one familiar face from PA, and the familiarity of quaint town decorations.

To me, this is one of the beauties of the season of fall: Gratitude.  I love that we as a culture take the time to be filled with gratitude and reflection.  I hope that as I take my twenty minute walks to and from campus that it will be time for me to just reflect.  I avoid music and phones during my walks because it's just a moment in my life where I want to see the beauty around me, and to not miss it.

So, while I still honestly think that there will never be an autumn as beautiful as New England, and that this beauty will never be found here in Idaho, I do think there is beauty.  I have a beautiful life.  I have a beautiful university.  I have a beautiful perspective on what lays ahead of us.  Here's to autumn and the excitement this brisky, breezy, beautiful season always brings to me!

Well, that's all for now folks.  Hope you enjoyed your stay!