Happy Fall! It is once again the most wonderful time of year despite what Andy Williams says. The green on all the trees turn, orange, yellow and red and scatter on the ground. The air gets colder and everyone pulls out their oversized sweaters and drinks their pumpkin spice lattes. The warmly desired fall aesthetic of browns and maroons and the season of watching "Hocus Pocus" fifteen times in one week is upon us, and it is something that most people get to look forward to after a hot summer. But I can’t help but feel like Floridians always get cheated during this time of year. When there is supposed to be a bite of the autumn air, we get no relief from the summer sun. The only trees that we have are palm trees so we can’t watch the leaves change and fall. And it is almost impossible to walk outside in your favorite dark red sweater for fear of heat exhaustion. We love that Florida is the summer state, but at this time of year, we long for a real autumn.
For a person that has lived their whole life in a northern state getting to experience the true feeling of fall, it was hard for me to adjust to the way Florida does autumn—or as I like to call it, Summer: Part Two. All I wanted was to spend these last few months of the year the way I always did up north: basically being surrounded by pumpkins and pastries. Autumn is my favorite season, so when I moved Florida, I did everything I could to get as close to my perfect fall experience as possible. If there are other Floridians that feel the same way I do, don’t worry! There are lots of ways that you can make the Sunshine State feel like it actually has seasons.
The first thing to do is to get your house, apartment or dorm in the spirit of the season. Start from the outside. Get yourself a wreath with bright orange and red leaves to put on your front door. Or, if you’re feeling crafty, make your own. Your home will immediately look warmer and friendlier because wreaths just scream, “Welcome to our home!” Just to add to the charm, get your friends and the biggest pumpkins you can carry and start carving. Carving pumpkins is a classic fall activity to get you in the fall mood. They make fun outdoor decorations, and as a bonus, you can bake the seeds with some salt for a healthy snack. On the inside, put out various fall-inspired decorations like ceramic pumpkins and fake leaves. What I like to do to get the entire house feeling like fall is to make everything smell like it. I put out heirloom pumpkin scented candles and spray every room with apple and cinnamon scented air freshener. I’m not satisfied until it smells like we are living in a giant pumpkin pie.
Another classic fall activity that I always did up north was going to the pumpkin patch. It was one of my favorite outings to go on with my friends. Drinking hot chocolate with our knitted hats on, going for a hayride and getting lost in the corn maze really made the season special. I came down to Florida and I thought, “no way will there be pumpkin patches down here.” Well, was I wrong. All you have to do is google pumpkin patches in your area and you are bound to find one with all the necessary pumpkin patch activities you could ever dream of.
The final thing to do to convince Florida that it is not still summer is to bake 24/7. This is my favorite activity as soon as October hits. I feel like I never leave the kitchen because I am always baking some type of treat to remind the taste buds that it is the best time of year. Whether it’s pumpkin cookies or apple cinnamon cake, there is always something sweet in the oven waiting to help us gain those extra 15 pounds that we always find during Thanksgiving season.
So even though Florida doesn’t like to give us the real fall that we deserve, there are lots of ways that you can make this season as aesthetically pleasing for yourself as you want. Fall is the season of giving and making everyone around you feel warm and loved. There is not a season that makes you feel more at home when you can share it with friends, family and lots of pumpkin.
