Fall has officially arrived here in Connecticut, and I couldn’t be more excited! Yes, I know there are plenty of people who groan at the thought of fall approaching and would disagree with me that it’s anything worth being excited about. Still, there’s just something about watching the foliage change colors and the crunching of leaves which gives me such a “Rory Gilmore” moment, and I’m here for it!
It may sound a bit odd, but having the opportunity to experience the transition from summer to fall was one of the key features that drew me to the Northeast for college. Fall has always had a special place in my heart, and getting to experience the beauty of nature at its finest has been one of my favorite things about Connecticut so far. It may only be November but I’ve already noticed many differences compared to the falls back home, so I’ve decided to indulge in my recent fall hyper-fixation and write about my experience so far!
Foliage!
Okay, you already knew I was gonna talk about it, but as a Southerner, you can’t blame me! It may seem natural and not worth noting, but I have been obsessed with watching the leaves change since the beginning of October. Just look how gorgeous this tree looks decorated in vibrant red.
In contrast to popular belief, we do experience the changing of leaves in the South, but it’s nowhere near this rapid or vibrant. Most of the leaves back home will often fade into a light green to yellow (sometimes orange if we’re lucky), then fall over time in preparation for winter. They often tend to fall throughout November and December, leaving most of the trees still relatively full by the end of the year. This is the complete opposite from here, though, considering every tree I’ve seen since the beginning of November has already lost all of its leaves or is getting close!
The vibrancy of the colors is also drastically different, with most of the trees being enveloped in red and orange foliage, and its vibrancy only grows stronger as the season goes on!
30°F In November?!
I’ve always claimed to prefer cold weather to the heat of the summer, but it’s starting to seem like I only meant the Southerner’s version of cold. The temperature changes lately have been insane to me, and in all seriousness, it is the one of biggest things I miss about home. It is insane to me how we went from 70 degrees to 30 degrees in less than two days!! Back home, we wouldn’t even begin to see a change in temperature until after Thanksgiving, and even then the lowest we might hit is 50 degrees, so yeah, talk about culture shock. It may as well already be Christmas with temperatures like this!
Thankfully, it’s not as unbearable as I expected it to be, but that would be thanks to the sun (as well as the copious amounts of layers I leave my dorm in). I have to say I do really enjoy being able to experience a new type of cold weather but still be able to rely on the presence of the sun to keep me warm… well when it’s out, that is. After 4:00 p.m. it may as well be the Arctic.
In all honesty, this was just an opportunity for me to rant about how much I love watching the leaves change color and how little I enjoy the drastic weather changes. That being said, I truly do enjoy being able to experience a new type of season here in the North, and I honestly have had a great time so far. I am going to try and make the best of what’s left of the fall season here, mainly because from what I’ve heard, come January it is going to be an entirely different experience that I am, retrospectively, not prepared for. Maybe I’ll revisit this and make a comparison regarding my first experience with a Northern winter!