So I have been a Florida native since the day I was born. I grew up in suburban Orlando, and I have never experienced Fall. For us Floridians, Fall happens when the sun only kills us for half the day instead of the whole day. The leaves turn darker green instead of gold and red and orange. Here, we start at 100 degrees, and are lucky if we drop to 70 by mid November. For the rest of the country, thanksgiving is a time for jumping in piles of leaves and first snow falls. For sunny florida, it means we only sweat a little bit when we wear jeans.
Not to say I don't love Florida; of course I do. The beach is one of my favorite places on the planet, and there are dozens within a few hours drive. Not to mention Disney, which really is the happiest place on earth, and Universal which, with Harry Potter everywhere, is just about even. But could we have one day before December that doesn't hit 80? Please?
I want sweater weather and hot chocolate and a chance to use the house fireplace when I drive home to visit my family for the weekend. When I drove down the road just this morning, the sparkling synthetic Christmas trees put up each year by the city spotted the roads, and yet the temperature on my dashboard read 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
I hear Christmas music on the radio and at the mall, but the songs about snow are just a bit too ironic as the sun beats down and my flip flops smack to the beat of the sleigh bells.
Would it kill the weather to break just a bit?
But on the other hand, a warm fall, though sometimes quite frustrating, can be a beautiful thing. Walking around campus and seeing the wide variety of seasons represented in the clothing of my peers reminds me of the freedom we have in clothing choices that few other people are privy too. on the many 70-degree days, it is acceptable to wear shorts or boots, a sweater or a dress, jeans or a skirt. The season is undecided for us, leaving our entire wardrobes up for grabs each and every morning.
And there's no fear of being trapped indoors with the cold. Or having to pack on a thousand layers to keep away the frostbite on the way to class. Instead, we have mild mornings, perfect for walking around the lovely campus I call home. The trees remain full of life all year around, and even during the occasional cold snaps, the fragile Florida foliage continues to bloom.
Of course, I would love to see the leaves change, and my desire for cold may eventually drive me north. But Florida Fall is a unique and lovely thing, and despite the dreams of frosty mornings a leaves falling like gold, the version of Fall I know is my favorite time of year.
