Next week we welcome another autumn into our lives. As a thoroughly predictable human being, every September I fight the changing season, and then start warming up to the idea after reminding myself of all the things to love about fall. I finally give in (short of relocating, what’s a Portlander to do?). This years autumnal equinox is September 22, so as the rains arrive, I’ll be re-reading my annual fall list.

I started this proper list of things that I love about fall a couple years ago, just to remind myself… So here’s the 2012 updated, with 79 things this year. Epic!

  1. leather boots
  2. crunchy leaves
  3. scarves (a serious weakness)
  4. cozy striped socks (and argyle!)
  5. English tea w/milk
  6. apple orchards
  7. Hulu
  8. rain boots (& wearing my Converse-style rainboots! & bees!)
  9. coffee
  10. Powell’s bookstore
  11. reading
  12. cooking over-elaborate meals (this 3 hour soup comes to mind)
  13. snuggling (kittehs or boys)
  14. hikes
  15. tights & skirts (cable knit!)
  16. live music/Doug Fir
  17. soup
  18. fall-ish tunes
  19. change/fresh starts
  20. duvets
  21. yellow
  22. baking
  23. chai lattes
  24. plaid
  25. wine
  26. shooting guns (Don’t judge. I’m from the country.)
  27. movies/beer/pizza/Cajun tots at McMenamins (tasty!)
  28. home goods stores
  29. pretending to love shopping
  30. argyle (see #4)
  31. learning
  32. pumpkin everything, (including pumpkin spice lattes)
  33. apple sauce (planning a canning party. I’m so in my 30s)
  34. hoodies (cozy)
  35. Thai food
  36. cities
  37. cinnamon
  38. whiskey
  39. planning winter trips (last year Iceland. This year Japan & South Korea)
  40. planning 1 winter escape (somewhere warm & cheap! February? March? Hawaii?)
  41. skinny jeans tucked into boots
  42. pretty maps (yet another serious weakness)
  43. layering
  44. that means more dark chocolate
  45. dreaming of Barcelona
  46. popcorn
  47. the air
  48. food carts with heated seating areas
  49. baths
  50. colors
  51. crying to Sigur Ros or Beck’s Sea Change (no explanation. It’s not 2 hrs and 14 min/week worth though, clearly I need to listen to more Sigur Ros)
  52. corduroy
  53. massive breakfasts
  54. geocaching
  55. making out in the cold
  56. trains
  57. watching people be excited about college football
  58. trying new cocktails
  59. spin class
  60. yurt camping
  61. finding new music
  62. yoga pants
  63. long dinners
  64. storms
  65. writing
  66. flannel sheets
  67. indoor workouts (Bar Method!)
  68. even more indoor time: a new cooking class
  69. board games
  70. mashed potatoes
  71. lazy weekend mornings catching up on my Google Reader in bed
  72. carbs
  73. rocking sudoku
  74. sucking at crosswords
  75. seasonal ales
  76. dark nail polish (OPI Over the Taupe)
  77. museums
  78. the words ‘crisp’ & ‘cozy’
  79. sweaters…

photo set on flickr

What do you love about fall?