Hello, Autumn!

Autumn in Seoul is definitely not the same as autumn in Toronto.

I shouldn't even compare.

When I lived in India, a tropical country, I always imagined that if I were to move somewhere with cooler weather, that winter would automatically become my favourite season. After all, think of all those Christmas cards with picturesque paintings on front, making snow seem so magical... and not truly COLD. What can I say, I was a child with a flare for absorbing visual images.

When I moved to Canada at the end of July, the first complete season in my new home was autumn. I'd never given it a second thought back then, but I now realize that I'd fallen in love very quickly.

I fell in love with the smells... so cozy and comfortable. Maybe it was the smell of maple sugar or pumpkins, or coffee. I can't quite figure it out. All I know is that the air was sweet, mixed with a warm breeze.

I loved the fact that everyone looked cozy, all bundled up in their sweaters, scarves and coats. It wasn't as harsh as winter. Autumn had a softer look, with layers and warm colours. I guess it also helped that everything from the trees to the wardrobes were sporting my favourite colours.

And it's stayed that way ever since.

This is a recent shot of autumn in Toronto, taken by my friend Matt Cohen. I'd had a little chat with him about what I missed about the city, and he was kind enough to go out and get this shot, with me in mind.

Each year as September approaches, I begin a mental countdown to weeks of serenity. With autumn comes a sense of peace that I don't feel at any other time in the year. I make more of an effort to go out on walks and take in nature. I look at things more critically, and am truly overcome by the beauty of this world.

My friends used to joke with me about being morbid.

"Fall is a season of death, you know?" they'd say.

But I never thought of it that way. It just seemed too beautiful to be considered that.

I met someone in Seoul a few weeks ago, and shared this information with her. She said she'd run this by her mother, who happens to be a kindergarten teacher in Texas.

"Mom says it's not about death," she said. "The trees are simply absorbing all the photosynthesis so that they can keep warm for the winter. That's why the leaves fall."

Amazing.

Another reason to simply love this season.

I know, this post is rather nostalgic, isn't it? I must admit, I'm missing autumn in Toronto. But, for what it's worth, autumn in Seoul is just as beautiful. It's just... different.

More on the Seoul version, later.

xo
SC

Image courtesy of Matt Cohen in Toronto