i've waited oh...29 autumns for this one.

past years have found me drinking cocoa, burning fall scented candles and eating pumpkin flavored everything in 90 degree weather. i've pulled on fur when the weather dipped below 80. i've carved pumpkins that wilted in 24 hours, and i've owned more pairs of boots than cool days i'll see that year. i've been a lifelong lover of fall, without ever actually experiencing it.

historically i've strived to achieve goals and hit milestones sooner rather than later. i reasoned the quicker i reach those goals, the more time i'll have left to enjoy them. in this instance - i hoped the sooner i settled somewhere with discernible seasons, the more years i'd be able to revel in them. but as i've gotten older i've realized what a gift it is to have my dreams unfold slowly, allowing me to still experience new things and firsts - like my first real autumn.

or to approximately quote einstein "the reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

but it's finally time, and autumn number 30 has been something kinda special.