Winter is officially upon us, and although I am spending “winter” in beautiful, sunny AZ (projected high for today: 66), I have not updated here hardly at all about how lovely this fall has been.

Last year was really the first year I experienced fall.

But I wasn’t in my home country, and pumpkins and seasonal gourds just don’t make the same kinds of appearances in a lot of other countries…So, having moved to a deciduous region with trees that change colors from orange to yellow to burnt sienna, I would like to say that fall really and truly does rock. Plus, I understand the following a little better:

• Pumpkin-flavored anything: Sure, I love pumpkin pie and growing up we made the trek more than once to Buckelew Farm to choose pumpkins, and maybe pumpkin spice has just become super popular in flavoring EVERYTHING EVER EVERYWHERE but I will say that it seemed to make more sense out where the trees actually matched the colors of the pumpkins. More natural. (For the record, the pumpkin ice cream from Trader Joe’s is BOMB and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are completely overrated.)
• Fall fashion: I have always loved scarves and similar fall accessories, and boots and tights with dresses, but in Tucson it was usually more fashion-driven than utilitarian. But in Pittsburgh, I can actually wear my boots all the time because it is cold out! My wool scarves don’t sit in a bin under my bed or in my closet, they get to come out with me on a daily basis. They are cozy and I love them. And by love, I mean actually need to wear.
• Nostalgia: When people from elsewhere move to southern Arizona and say one of the only things they miss about (Insert State Here) is fall, now I get it. It really is so pretty!

Know what else rocks (so far, at least)? Pittsburgh. It has rocked so hard and continues to rock that I find I have much less time to spend working here on Bumblings. I’m doing what I came to do–graduate school–so rest assured I haven’t forgotten about my little blog, and will try to update once in a while with all the marvelous things I’m learning about winter (tip: weather-proof your leather boots before winter snow begins…and make sure there’s tread on your sole…), etc. but it will continue to be sporadic for awhile.

I hope you had a lovely fall, wherever you were!