I am so behind on writing! Somehow, colder weather and darker days = sadness? Which = no writing motivation? Funny how that works out! 

But, tonight, I am determined to brave the harsh waters and take you all on a journey through my thoughts. 

Although I promised readers interesting and nuanced topics in this next post, such as ex-best friends and internalized misogyny, or possibly how art does not need to be perceived to be beautiful, I’m instead turning to a topic that I’m sure everyone has already read about or thought already: How a 9-5 routine can often make you unaware of the seasonal shifts around you, so that by the time the colder weather comes around, you are blindsided and still buying ice cream sandwiches from Trader Joe’s and convinced that you can still go sunbathing in Prospect Park when the weather warms up. 

No, seriously, tonight when I was picking out which of my 17 comfort sweatshirts I was going to wear while cuddled up and watching Halloween movies under my comforter, I stared longingly at my shorts in my drawer and told them I wouldn’t put them away just yet—their time would come again, this weekend, perhaps? I look at the subway signs for Coney Island, thinking maybe I’d hop on and have a beach day, and then I remember that it’s below 60 degrees outside and I actually don’t want to go to Coney Island anyway. 

Part of this unawareness is denial, yes, but most of it is a state of confusion, because huge chunks of my days are often filled with sitting in front of a computer. So I don’t always notice the subtle changes around me, assuming that every part of my routine remains the same as always. I can still wear Birkenstocks; there’s no need to grab a jacket when running to the grocery store; I need to use as few covers as possible and conserve the ac usage. 

I kid you not, it was only a few days ago that I realized maybeee I was occasionally waking up with a sore throat and no other symptoms because, in the no-heat, 50 degree apartment of mine, I hadn’t yet switched my bedding to a duvet cover and was still wearing shorts and a tank top to bed. 

When I walked through Prospect Park this evening and sat down, and looked around and didn’t see hoards of families sitting with me, and, in fact, I was the only person seated in the entire park, it was then that I realized, “oh, wow. The season has changed.”

Maybe it’s also that the shift this year happened so quickly—from 100 degrees to 50 real quick—and I was just hoping for something a little more gradual. Like, maybe not rain for 5 days in a row? Is that too much to ask? Could I have maybe just a slight breeze and still wear cute skirts to go apple picking while laughing in the sunshine, like an LL Bean model? Or do I have to actually…*shudder* layer up…

I encourage you all, as I’m trying to do, to find some breaks in those 9-5 routines, even if that’s only a lunchtime walk. Because I’m realizing that when I only have an hour of daylight after work, life can feel pretty isolating! Breaking up the monotony is good for you, and all of us, and these seasonal shifts can actually sort of help with that—embrace the change, and find newness in your routine. 

Happy fall, everybody!