Autumn is my favorite season, born of a thousand reasons. The early hints – a crispness, a new scent as of fading leaves – arrived about a week ago, but are in full force today. The cold mornings, the sun slowly warming the day, then the heat fading into a cool evening.

It’s about crisp, sweet apples and spiced cider – colors turning a your street into a work of art – the perfect temperature for a daily run.

It’s also about the beginning of the school year… that growing sense of organization, purpose, direction. It’s been some time now since I was in a typical school semester, but the feeling still grows each Autumn. It was my friend’s first day at a new school, though, so I enjoyed hearing how her – and her family’s – first day went.

The days are still long as with Summer, but cool. I don’t like extreme temperatures generally – the cold of winter especially makes me pull away and hibernate. I’d choose a temperate climate in a flash. But Autumn has me excited, hopeful, expectant, motivated.