I thought after experiencing one year in Oman without "seasons" that I would be more used to it and wouldn't be bothered by it as much. But wouldn't you know it, here it is mid-October again and I'm longing for Fall.
I will say that the weather has cooled off a bit here in Oman, and by that I mean that the mornings and evenings no longer feel like you are walking into an oven anymore. They do feel pretty pleasant. However, this is not quite the same as feeling the 'crispness' in the air that a true Oregon fall brings. There are no changing leaves in beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. No cold days or nights where you want to hunker down with a blanket and some tea. No cloudy days threatening the chance of rain. No blustery days. The one thing Oman does offer like Oregon is the shortening of sunlight during the day, so by 6:45, it is very dark outside.
The best I can do for fall, is to go to Bath and Body Works at the mall and buy holiday candles. My house and school office currently smell like fall, giving you momentary reminders of home. And the heat doesn't stop me from making seasonal things. Minestrone soup graced our table last night and with the darker skies and AC blowing, one can pretend it's a cold fall night outside. With Halloween approaching, I've been thinking of decor Aberly and I can make to put around the house and put a little spirit in our home.
In the end, I still feel sad for fall. I find myself insanely jealous of friends' post on Facebook proclaiming the first rain of fall, the onset of cool weather, and the beauty of the changing landscape. I have moments where I seriously consider buying a plane ticket home for a long weekend just to experience fall. Come on Kelsey, get a grip! Well, the thing I've finally been able to put my finger on of why it bothers me so much (besides seasons being a part of my upbringing and "home") is that when you don't have seasons, there is no sense of months besides a literal 30 days.
It's like when you are on Christmas or summer break and lose sense of the days of the week. Day by day goes by and you find yourself trying to remember which day it is. Well, that is what it's like here in a way. Day by day goes by, week by week, month by month, and you find yourself a bit lost for the sense of time. Months here simply become 30 or 31 days. There is no meaning behind them. Here, October is October. At home, October means cold weather, certain foods, special decor, etc... If someone asks you what October tastes, smells, and feels like, you can tell them. Ask me what October feels like here and I'll say the same as any other month, just a bit cooler than the last. Boring!!!
So, there it is. There is me figuring out what has really bothered me about seasons. If I was in therapy, my counselor would congratulate me on my break through. But sadly for me, there is not much more that I can do than cope. Okay, I'm not THAT bummed or depressed! Just sad and jealous at moments of all of you skipping merrily through the falling leaves, drinking your hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Chai teas outside without breaking a sweat, wearing sweaters and boots, eating the restaurant specials that involve squash or creamy risottos, going to Fall Festivals, and picking out your perfect pumpkin at the patch. It all sounds like the best fantasy to me right now....
I will say that the weather has cooled off a bit here in Oman, and by that I mean that the mornings and evenings no longer feel like you are walking into an oven anymore. They do feel pretty pleasant. However, this is not quite the same as feeling the 'crispness' in the air that a true Oregon fall brings. There are no changing leaves in beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. No cold days or nights where you want to hunker down with a blanket and some tea. No cloudy days threatening the chance of rain. No blustery days. The one thing Oman does offer like Oregon is the shortening of sunlight during the day, so by 6:45, it is very dark outside.
The best I can do for fall, is to go to Bath and Body Works at the mall and buy holiday candles. My house and school office currently smell like fall, giving you momentary reminders of home. And the heat doesn't stop me from making seasonal things. Minestrone soup graced our table last night and with the darker skies and AC blowing, one can pretend it's a cold fall night outside. With Halloween approaching, I've been thinking of decor Aberly and I can make to put around the house and put a little spirit in our home.
In the end, I still feel sad for fall. I find myself insanely jealous of friends' post on Facebook proclaiming the first rain of fall, the onset of cool weather, and the beauty of the changing landscape. I have moments where I seriously consider buying a plane ticket home for a long weekend just to experience fall. Come on Kelsey, get a grip! Well, the thing I've finally been able to put my finger on of why it bothers me so much (besides seasons being a part of my upbringing and "home") is that when you don't have seasons, there is no sense of months besides a literal 30 days.
It's like when you are on Christmas or summer break and lose sense of the days of the week. Day by day goes by and you find yourself trying to remember which day it is. Well, that is what it's like here in a way. Day by day goes by, week by week, month by month, and you find yourself a bit lost for the sense of time. Months here simply become 30 or 31 days. There is no meaning behind them. Here, October is October. At home, October means cold weather, certain foods, special decor, etc... If someone asks you what October tastes, smells, and feels like, you can tell them. Ask me what October feels like here and I'll say the same as any other month, just a bit cooler than the last. Boring!!!
So, there it is. There is me figuring out what has really bothered me about seasons. If I was in therapy, my counselor would congratulate me on my break through. But sadly for me, there is not much more that I can do than cope. Okay, I'm not THAT bummed or depressed! Just sad and jealous at moments of all of you skipping merrily through the falling leaves, drinking your hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Chai teas outside without breaking a sweat, wearing sweaters and boots, eating the restaurant specials that involve squash or creamy risottos, going to Fall Festivals, and picking out your perfect pumpkin at the patch. It all sounds like the best fantasy to me right now....
