Fall colours you will fall for…
Life is better in autumn. We call it Sharad in Gujarati. Though we don’t have beautiful mesmerizing foliage in this part of the country, we can feel the crisp air and calm wind. The need to ditch air conditioners at night. The need for a cozy thin blanket in the early morning. The need of that five more minutes of sleep starts in this season. Once we welcome sharad with Navratri, we don’t really see the transition between autumn and winter. And we enter into the season of festivals. Navratri, Diwali (for almost an entire week for us Gujarati), and with this global civilization, Christmas, New year, Uttarayan, Vasant Panchami, and Holi….So Spring will be with us before we know…
But our minds still drift back to this cold and crisp autumn air. This wind. Smell of parijaat in the morning when you see carpet of flowers in the garden. People say spring is the season of newness, of romance, of everything beautiful. I love spring, I really do. But I get comfort in autumn. A cozy throw, a cup of coffee or adrakh wali chai, little candles or diyas or lobans, and the comfort of loved ones. And don’t even get me started on the food. Autumn is the season of the first winter greens. First red carrot and first green garlic. Though we enjoy these vegetables in winter, after horrid summer and manic monsoon, we get these greens like a breath of fresh air in autumn. We welcome winter with the season’s first halwa and undhiyu in autumn. You all must be thinking, why am I going all praise suddenly about seasons and weather… its because I love autumn so much and then I visited the USA in autumn.
My anticipation of fall colors from pictures I have seen in my entire life is nothing compared to the natural beauty. I was in wonderland. It feels like a different universe is taking shape with all shades from green to brown. I have witnessed its progression from mountains covered with green trees and scattered yellow to mountains covered with bright yellow, orange, and fiery red to scattered greens in just 15 days. We have visited the USA before, but just before Autumn, so we were not lucky enough to see these vibrant hues of colors at that time. The Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania made my heart flutter with excitement every time I went for a drive. How can mother nature be so divine and peaceful? So colorful yet so serene! You visit the USA in general, and you visit the USA in the fall. These are two entirely different entities… completely different trips…You can’t even compare them. The rustling of leaves under your feet and tender touch of wind on your cheeks, the frost in the morning and cool breeze in the afternoon…occasional rain and chilly night…we enjoyed all…
If you are reading our blogs regularly, you must know that I write a lot about change. But I witnessed these stupefying changes for the first time in my life, and I fell in love with them. You must witness this if you are not a believer in change. It’s God’s simple yet powerful way of telling us that change can be mesmerizing! The beautiful colors till the eyes reach…speaking only one thing. Let your wings open, fly, fly and soar high… let yourself be in charge of yourself and let yourself be changed the way you want, not the way others want in you. Occasional greens in between are calm and consistent, but the mountains shine with yellows, oranges, and reds when the bright sun throws its rays upon them… These shades are amazing against the clear blue sky, just like you are amazing in the Navratri crowd or when you are alone sitting in the corner of your home.
The other thing I noticed is the beginning of festive season. While in India, we have a peak of festivities during autumn, it is the beginning in the USA. All Halloween decorations in front of homes to the Christmas decorations and gifts in major stores. The aroma of pumpkin pie and cinnamon latte and apple cider….you will be welcomed by all here.
So one of the most exciting part of our journey was these fall colors and fall vibes. May our tribe grow more and more, who enjoys these little pleasures and find solemn in the lap of mother nature. The place doesn’t matter, India or America. And now we want to see these awesome colours in our mighty Himalayas.
Thank you.
See you all soon.
Awesome- loved change and colours and the best is your awareness about changing colours!!!
Thank you so much Bhabhi…
Lovely expression of thought on the beauty of colours of autumn!!
Thank you ma’am.