Our 14 Fall Dates

When I was little, winter was always my favorite season. I liked pretty winter coats, loved the infrequent Tokyo snowfall, and eagerly awaited the magical Christmas visits to New England. After moving to New Hampshire and living through a full seven winters, I realized the magic wears off pretty quickly (come February I was done with cold and done with snow with a few months still left to go). Autumn however, was a season to fall for. It has something to do with clean slates and back to school, my birthday and black friday, but there is also just something in the air – in that beautiful crisp air that banishes the sweat of summer for another 9 months and begs me to curl up in a blanket on a porch and read for hours.

This is our third fall together, Ben and me, and just like last year, I have a date list. We made this together (by way of encouragement) and because we want to enjoy these before thanksgiving, it puts us at a little more than one a week.

• Go to a pumpkin patch. I know I’ve been when I was little, but other than the pictures, I have no memory of a pumpkin patch and for some reason that just seems wrong. This year we won’t be picking up our pumpkin from the grocery store 🙂 
• Hike a scenic trail. Ben and I spend lots of time outside exercising but we aren’t big into hiking. The leaves in Ohio this fall will change that, I can just feel it. 
• Get lost in a corn maze. Back home the corn maze is an annual tradition (occasionally its haunted). Gone are the days of strategically planning who you go through with, but I have a feeling it will be just as fun. 
• Explore a farmers market. I have diverse jams on my shopping list. I feel like jam should be something purchased only at a farmers market (although until now all my jam purchasing has been done at a grocery store). 
• Bake a new recipe, together (bonus if it includes pumpkin or nutmeg). I love baking, and Ben is quite the cook, but its not something we enjoy regularly together. Fall spices can fix this. 
• Get cultured (play, orchestra, or dance performance). Fall marks the start of performing seasons for lots of companies and new exhibits at many museums. I’m hoping to get inspired by some jetes and some brush strokes in the next few months. 
• Laugh at the zoo. We have tickets to the Cincinnati zoo and without the heat or the crowds, fall is the perfect time to use them. I imagine some animals are more fun to watch in the fall, less lethargic sans summer heat. 
• Bike through the foliage. Our bikes have been shut away for about a month now and while ninety degree temperatures and summer travels might not have been conducive to bike rides, brilliant leaves and crisp evenings are sure to be. 
• Find a lake, wear a sweater, and play some frisbee. There’s no ocean here or thats where I’d head. Large bodies of water are fun to cool off in during the summer, but I think they’re equally as enjoyable under a layer of knit in a cool breeze. 
• Improve our tennis skills. The first time we played tennis together was on honeymoon but now that our apartment complex has a court and we got a new racket for Ben’s birthday, we’ve been brushing up on (read: developing) our skills. 
• Read a book together. We both have goals to do a little more pleasure reading so I love this idea of reading the same book (either separately at the same time, out loud to each other, or listening to it on tape) so we can talk about it. 
• Sleep (or cuddle) on the porch. The cool evenings call for down comforters and nights outdoors. I’m not sure we’ll get much camping in this season, but a night or two on the air mattress on the porch might make up for it. 
• Star gaze while drinking hot chocolate. If the hot chocolate is hazelnut or mint the night will be even better. 
• Enjoy a final picnic. Picnics might sound summery but imagine pumpkin baked goods, oatmeal knit sweaters, and walnut salads surrounded by a sea of red and yellow leaves. It sounds like perfection to me.