Pumpkin Spice take me away

I enjoy seasonal flavors, they feel special and their flavor reminds me of the good times from each season. In the Spring the vegetables taste fresh, in the Summer I like to grill everything under the sun, Fall I love fresh apples, warm baked goods and pumpkin spice though I stick to pumpkin pie and pumpkin coffee. In the Winter there are even more baked goods, heavier meals and eggnog.

The flavor of pumpkin and pumpkin spice are wonderful but the flavor truly shines when used as a key, a key to unlock old memories from the Fall. The scent and taste of something takes me back to all the times I have had that smell or taste. Like photographs hung along a string,  every memory of fall is linked together by Autumn tastes, sights and wonderful scents.

Each sip of my morning pumpkin coffee is like a small burst of nostalgia. Red and orange Autumn leaves poof into the room and float gently through the air. Candles all with their own smells of pumpkin, apple cider or deep woods, each one takes me to a place if only for a moment. The image in my eyes gets a little nicer and the world becomes a little warmer.

My mind is a flurry with stories, images of ideal Autumns hand picked from my best memories and my hopes for the future. I dream of warm, country homes surrounded by Autumn trees. Each home with a little trail of smoke rising from the tops. The cold autumn wind blows through, crisp and refreshing. The smells of woodsmoke, baking pies and crushed leaves fill the air. This is the place I like to go.

The wish for this ideal is what drives me. I use the images of Autumn to help me through the hard times and look to a better future ahead. No matter how overheated or beaten down I get, Autumn always comes.
Autumn is slow and peaceful, it is a time to reflect and enjoy nature. It suits my personality and each year it is when I am at my happiest.
I sit with blurry vision as the sleep fades from my eyes and I drink my pumpkin coffee. My pumpkin spice coffee helps me face the day, it warms me up and takes me away.

The Beauty in Autumn

The sun shone brightly over the clear autumn day and the air had a crisp, chilly feel. I walked across the paved parking lot of a small church when I saw a woman backdropped by brightly colored fall leaves.

Trees surrounded the church and dotted the neighborhood, the colors were reminiscent of golden honey and pumpkin pie. The smell of woodsmoke floated on the cool Autumn breeze. The woman had raven black hair, skin pale as the moon and bright blue eyes. She turned to me and for a moment I swear she conjured up a gust of wind to blow her hair to the side. 

“Oh there you are” She said to me. She was not a stranger but this was the first time I had seen her in this light. She was both familiar and different. She walked up to me with an awkward and cute stride. Her walk reflected her personality; awkward and cute. 

We talked for a few minutes, our conversations were the same but something was different. We stood closer together than we used to and during the conversation she leaned against me several times. I felt a little crazy as I pondered the smallest of details. I wondered if I was being very observant of our changing relationship or if I was making it all up in my head.

I cast my gaze on the clear blue sky as I attempted calm. The two of us stood quietly in peaceful silence until she said “I should go”. I looked back down and saw her staring at me with her big blue eyes. She seemed like she was anticipating something. I grew increasingly nervous as I fumbled for words to say.

My old instincts decided my action for me as I moved forward to give her a goodbye hug. Normally this hug would be casual and friendly but that day I held her close for an extra second, let out a relaxed sigh and noticed she was hugging me just as tightly. She rested her head on my chest as both of her arms wrapped around my torso. 

 I let go and took a step back, we both said our awkward goodbye, then I turned and quickly walked to my car. On the way back to my car I realized how chilly it had gotten. I had lost track of time and temperature just by standing near her. I finally climbed into my car and sat slumped over as my mind raced and attempted to make sense of the events that just transpired.
When I was mentally ready I started my car and drove off down the road. The air was crisp and the trees swayed happily in the autumn breeze. I admired the natural beauty of Autumn as I drove and I felt relaxed.

Like the changing of the season I felt a change in my relationship with her. I could not say what caused the change, I can only say that there is no going back.