Trina Writes a Valentine to: Autumn

There are things that make me genuinely happy in my life, and I want to declare those affections on Trina Left Iowa.  I’m beginning a series of Valentines to people, places and things which would fall into this Dictionary.com definition of the word: 

valentine Pronunciation [val-uh n-tahyn] Use valentine in a Sentence–noun A written or other artistic work, message, token, etc., expressing affection for something or someone.

Dear Autumn,

Ah yes, it’s autumn yet again and that pumpkin-shaped hole in my heart has been filled.  That’s right, the leaves are changing, the air is cooler, drunk people in burnt-orange shirts are wandering around Uptown Dallas on Saturday afternoons and Starbucks has their pumpkin-flavoring out.  I LOVE this glorious time of year, and I want to sing these affections from my balcony.

For the last 3 falls, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing autumn in 3 very different states: Iowa, Rhode Island and Dallas.  Each one has offered up something delightful in this already wonderful time of year, and I’m going to share my favorites from each with you:

• Hawkeye football tailgating: Iowa City, IA has some of the best tailgating the BIG 10 conference has to offer.  Hawkeye fans show up in droves around Kinnick Stadium at painfully early hours to begin their autumnal Saturday ritual.  There’s cold beer (usually the cheapest brand one can find), drinking games and tiny grills/BBQs in a sea of black and gold.  Although the ritual usually turns into a drunken mess, it’s a great fall tradition that I miss dearly…right, there’s a football game too…

Me at an Iowa tailgate during my final year of college

• Fall colors: Rhode Island and the whole of New England have a plethora of trees.  When fall hits and the leaves begin to change colors, you are in for one of nature’s loveliest treats.  The spectrum of colors in a vast sea of trees is a feast for the eyes and is worthy of a long drive through New England.  I thought coming from the Midwest meant I’d seen leaves change, but it does not compare to the fall colors in New England.  Book a fall trip to RI or Mass and enjoy—trust me.

Fall Colors

• Reprieve from the Texas heat: This past summer was my first Texan summer, and the legends of brutal heat were true.  From June until just recently, I found outdoors to be intolerable unless I was in an overly air conditioned apartment or lounging by a pool.  That is why I’ve loved the suddenly cooler fall air outside.  I’ve brought my sweaters to the front of the closet again and turned off the expensive AC.  The past few weekends have been fantastic weather for walking around Dallas, checking out the scene in the arts district and sitting on a patio at an Uptown Dallas pub (favorites: Ginger Man, Quarter Bar and Black Friar).  This fall weather is a much-needed reprieve from the brutal Texan summers!!

Until next year,

Trina