Fall, I Miss You So!

Where is Fall in FL? Whenever I am out and about these days and see Halloween candy and Fall-themed wreaths hanging on doors in the neighborhood, I am reminded that Fall is the current season. Florida's Fall is so foreign to me; in CO, Fall oozes from every square foot of the landscape. I'm sure to all the Floridians reading this, my description of fall is foreign to you. The yellow, orange, and brown leaves all over the landscape partnered with the crisp, cool air that hits you as soon as you walk outside make it seem like it was never Summer in the Rocky Mountain Region. So many times this change seems to occur overnight! There are so many things I miss about Fall in CO; however, in my efforts to be more optimistic, I am noticing that there are a few perks to Fall in Florida. To counteract my longings to be surrounded by the sights and smells of true what I consider Fall weather, I compiled a list of the pros and cons to Florida's Fall...

{{PROS}}

• Flip-flops are A-OK still! I love flip-flops and own way too many pairs of them, according to Aric. They are just so easy to slip on and off and quite comfortable; so the ability to wear them longer because of the warmer weather is a definite plus for Fall down here.
• More pool time! I love swimming and laying out at the pool so being able to do these things long after Labor Day has passed is pretty awesome. Also, Aidan loves the water so I think he would give this a big thumbs-up as well.
• No extra luggage! And by 'luggage', I mean heavy coats, scarves, and gloves. It's so nice to not have to lug around a coat while you are at the grocery store or mall because you can't wear it indoors without roasting, but you need it for the trip to and from the car. In addition, Aidan has been able to wear the many of the same clothes he wore this summer which has been very economical for us.
• NO SNOW OR FROST!! This is the biggie! I love that I don't have to freeze my bum off while out and about. I love that I don't have to stress about driving conditions when I have somewhere I need to go. I absolutely and positively L.O.V.E that there is no frost here. There is nothing worse than when you already running late and you walk out to your car and see frost on the windows.. ugh! As a result, you spend an extra ten minutes, in the freezing cold no less, scraping frost off of your windows. Yeah, not gonna miss that this Fall/Winter in CO!

{{CONS}}

• Fall fashions! As previously mentioned, I don't mind skipping coat, scarf, and glove season, but I do miss cozy and cute sweaters and awesome faux leather and suede boots. I have so many sweaters that I am just itching to wear. I have a pair of fun fringe boots that are collecting dust in my closet back home in CO. You better believe that I will be sporting a sweater on the day when the forecast calls for a temperature lower than 65 degrees here in FL. If that day ever comes.
• Cold weather comfort foods! My favorite comfort foods for cold weather are grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, chili, and any hot Starbucks beverage. I know that I can still eat and drink all of these things in FL, but it's just not the same when it's 80 degrees outside. For some reason, they all just taste so much better when it's 50 degrees or less.
• Fall colors! Since I can remember, my family would pick a day in early fall and drive up to the mountains to look at the color change of the leaves. It is truly awe-inspiring; Crayola cannot do it justice. I cannot do it justice; all the different shades of gold, yellow, red, and brown are such a sight to see. I am sad that I will be missing out on that sight for the second year in row this Fall... also, no crunchy leaves to rake into piles and jump into?! : (
• The overall aura of Fall! This is probably more of a summary of all that I miss about CO Falls, but it's my list so I can do what I want. ; p I want to smell that almost indescribable scent of Fall. It's as if you can smell the cold air and that combined with cinnamon, nutmeg, and burning firewood makes for such a heavenly scent. I keep longing for that first chilly night when Aric and I can cuddle under a blanket with hot chocolate and watch a movie. I want to feel the exciting anticipation of that first snowfall of the year which seamlessly transitions into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Now as I step out of that pretty Fall picture I just painted,  feeling like I would give anything to be THERE, I realize that right HERE is where I belong because this is where the two most important people in my life are! No sweater or gingerbread latte would make missing out on time with Aidan and Aric worthwhile; which gives Florida's Fall an unyielding edge in the competition...