I Heart Fall

I love fall so much. I was sooo homesick last year during fall. It sucked knowing that everyone back home was wearing sweatshirts, and in Phoenix it was still 95 degrees at the end of October. (Of course, once December hit, it was like fall and spring for 5 months with no winter- heaven!)

Saturday I went for a gorgeous 8 mile hike on the Ice Age Trail up in Wisconsin. I didn't see another soul, so it was the very best kind of hike. I even did part of it without my iPod on because it was just so quiet; I love that sound of absolute silence and feeling like you're the only one around for miles and miles. Other things I loved about my hike were:

• The vivid fall colors- all the trees are changing!



• The sound of leaves crunching under my feet



• The perfect sweatshirt weather



• The smell of fall (why does it always smell like something is burning in the fall??)

I wish my iPhone took better pictures. The colors don't look right. But I loved walking through this:

Into this:

In Phoenix I complained all the time about the lack of green, so now I'm trying not to take it for granted.

You can't really tell, but the leaves were all different colors. It was the perfect time to go!

Other things I love about fall:

• New beginnings. I love starting fresh with a new class. September is the honeymoon period, where all the kids are too scared to misbehave and you're all energized and full of new ideas after the summer. I feel like I run on adrenaline the whole month because I'm so busy and excited. One of my favorite things in life is possibilities and starting new things.


• Candles. I love burning cinnamon-y candles! Oh, how I miss the 50% off I got when I worked at Yankee for 5 years. I'd love to buy some Harvest and Macintosh. But I can't bring myself to pay full price, so I've been burning some Target knockoffs that are almost as good. My mom's been burning this Marshmallow one from Bath and Body that is amazing. The whole house smells good!


• Fall foods. I love apple cider donuts and candy corn and warm apple crisp with ice cream. And of course, caramel apples from Dan's in Joliet- the best caramel apples in the world!!


• Sleeping with my windows open wearing warm pajamas and fuzzy socks.


• Going to the store on Sunday morning and seeing everyone in their Bears gear.

Fall is the best!! I'm just trying not to think of what's coming next...