Seasons

There have been a lot of things both obvious and subtle which have surprised me while I've been here. One thing I realized the other day as I was walking to class: I haven't smelled spring since I've been here. In the United States, twice a year, I smell the seasons change. There is always a morning I wake up and know spring has begun, and the same goes for autumn. In my own small way I always look forward to that day. I secretly love change and the way seasons come and go like mile markers. I love waking up and feeling that chill that tells me that summer is officially gone and isn't coming back for awhile. I love seeing all the leaves change and fall off of the trees. I love the pumpkins and bats and tacky halloween decorations and creative costumes. I've always loved autumn.

I find it incredibly sad to be here where it is technically "Spring". A person can only really appreciate one season by experiencing the others; that's why I could never pick a favorite. I love autumn because I get so sick of the heat of summer, and autumn means friends and school, cocoa and cookies and goodness. It means a different, more holistic, kind of warmth. And when I go back to school I will be in the dead of winter, not even getting to enjoy the process of Salem falling asleep for the winter. The fall in Salem is gorgeous. I will be sad to just see winter and I will, I believe, be less excited to see spring; it won't have been that long for me.