I had an apple for lunch today.
This is an entirely insignificant event, but today it reminded me of home: home being New England, specifically Massachusetts and/or Connecticut. I spent the first 7 years of my life in Mass and 4 later years in CT until I went to college, and then I returned to the state for summers and Christmases for 5 years.
This is September; this is apple-picking season. It is autumn, it is fall, it is a time to be outside, a time to wear long sleeves, a time to go pumpkin-picking and foliage-watching and for weather-enjoying and life-living. It is not a time to avoid the outdoors because it is 100 degrees with unbearable humidity.
It is not the time to be in Texas.
But here I am. This is the time of year when I miss “home” the most. I miss everything about fall: the smell of a fresh apple that was just on a tree; the smell of apple-pie baking from the apples we picked that morning; the sound of leaves crunching under my feet; the incredible beauty of the leaves blazing yellow and orange and red and amazing colors in-between; the ache of muscles from raking the leaves and the ridiculous excitement of jumping in the pile; the crisp air that made me feel alive and made me want to run for fun, for the sheer joy of breathing and living…
This is the time of year when I want to be outside, to go for a hike at Sleeping Giant, to get out the sweaters, to spend hours enjoying the weather. Everything here is brown and dying, not coming to life in a blaze of autumn colors. I’m stuck inside with the air conditioning running; I can’t open the windows and let the breeze blow through the house. The heat is oppressive and takes something from me with it.
This is the ninth fall season I’ve missed, and “home” has never felt so far away.
I have never experienced a real autumn. It sounds amazing.
~Q
I’m with Q. I’ve experienced every other season in New England except autumn. What’s up with that?
Can we move?
-Darek
*goes outside to make sure everything is indeed dead and nasty looking and the heat oppressive* Yep, your “home” sounds like a great place to be right now.
awww honey-poo….try not to miss fall too much yet…because the leaves haven’t started changing just yet AND it’s still a little on the warm side. just tryin to help a little. 🙂 miss ya chicky!
and ive never been to boston in the fall
I have always wanted to go to Connecticut or New England because I har it is such a beautiful place. I know how you feel about missing a place you love so much, we miss Colorado.
Gmomma
I’ve always wanted to taste an apple right of the tree…. I bet there is quite a difference. I remember winter and summer from Ct. but that’s it.
-daralee
Off the tree.. not of the tree. Yes, i no how too spel.
-d.
I found your blog by accident, sort of. Since the rain has stopped here in Oregon, and Spring is here, I am reminded of Connecticut and aching once again. I just Googled “homesick for Connecticut”, and here I am. I lived in Southern Oklahoma from 1996-2002, so I know about the oppressive heat and barron look of the land in Fall and Winter. I came to Oregon in late 2002 and it’s alot better than Oklahoma. In fact, I’m often reminded of Connecticut in Spring and Fall. Some of the leaves on the trees do turn to pretty colors here in Fall, but they don’t blanket the whole landscape the way they do in New England. I am not from Connecticut originally, but lived there, in Hamden, from 1989-96, and have regretted leaving ever since.