All in all, I believe that I made the right decision in coming to Atlanta. The media and sports markets are huge, so I just need to find the opportunity to really start my career. Living expenses are relatively low, and the people are friendlier here.
However, there is one thing I would like to say about having left New England. It was something I should have taken into consideration when I came here.
Fall, I'm sorry for leaving you when you had been so good to me.
There are so many things that you have done for me that, frankly, can't happen down here.
The colors. The weather. The things to do. None of it is the same.
Down here, everything is still green. By the time the leaves reach their peak vibrancy up in Maine, or even Connecticut, they will just start to turn, and that is only in the northern part of the state.
When I go to work to work at Walmart, I can't wear any of my T-shirts unless I can hide any graphics under my vest. More often than not, I have to wear long sleeve shirts and roll the sleeves up to keep from getting too hot. Have you ever worn a flannel shirt in 85-degree weather? Trust me, you start to sweat like a pig. Forget wearing sweatshirts or other light jackets: you won't need them. I hear coworkers complain that the cold weather is soon approaching, and I have to tell them that I had to deal with oil that congealed from being too cold.
Fall is also supposed to be a time when the adults, if they have some time to themselves without any responsibility, can enjoy things that they would normally do with their kids. Down here, the schools start up at the beginning of August, and the kids get a week-long "fall break" on top of Thanksgiving, Christmas, February, and April breaks. You don't see that in Connecticut. In the end, if I wanted to on a midday trip somewhere with my girlfriend, there is the possibility of dealing with kids. That's not what we signed up for.
Above all, I miss all of the fall-centric things to do, which couples in with the weather. Yeah, you could go apple picking here, but you'd have to drive an hour away in some spots. The events planned here, and don't get me wrong, some of them sound cool, aren't necessarily fall-centric. And with how hot it stays down here, even the ones that are fall themed tend to disappoint. Up north, apple picking, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches rule. The only thing fall-related thing that seems to have the upper hand is football, and even then you could go to the games in shorts and T-shirts. There is nothing that feels the same.
Fall, I don't know if you can forgive me for leaving. Just know that I'm sorry if I took you for granted.
Yours truly,
A Yankee now in the heart of Dixie
PS: Winter, good riddance.
