I was fortunate enough to be raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, more commonly known as the place from “Country Roads” by John Denver. So when I think of a beautiful fall day, I automatically picture the view from a mountaintop in Luray, Virginia, overlooking the Shenandoah River. Trees line either side with leaves painted orange and red. Corn fields and old, faded red barns sit atop rolling hills. A peaceful valley that is bare of any sign of modernity, almost like it’s from a picture book of what life used to be like.
Now when I see my beloved home, it’s from the screen of a cell phone. There’s nothing wrong with it, actually. I’m still instilled with all the nostalgia and peace as if I’m sitting on the mountaintop again on a breezy October day. But, I wonder if I’m unique in that way. As much as I enjoy the simplicity of nature (I mean, it’s why I started this blog), I can’t help but notice the way that the other people around me automatically conjure different images for what fall means to them.
The Meaning of Fall
Pumpkin spice lattes, football games with the Direct TV package, and more home decor than I knew existed seem to be some of the most prominent images you find on today’s social media when you simply search for “Fall vibes”. Stores like Hobby Lobby completely change their store layouts – featuring all the plastic pumpkins, gourds, and colorful leaves you could need to decorate your home in autumnal plumage – since you know, you can’t just go outside where the real pretty stuff is. Starbucks has their own fall menu, packed with items that use flavor add-ins that taste like pumpkins and apples, with none actual nutritional content that a real pumpkin or apple would provide. And why would you go outside and recreate yourself when you can sit and watch it on a TV screen all Sunday long?
Dramatism aside, I want to make a change in how the average American experiences what I think we all would agree is the most wonderful season of the year. Does that mean I’m no longer bringing my wife pumpkin spice cold brews on my way home from work? Of course not. Will I be sitting my butt on the couch all day long Sunday to watch every game? Of course I will. And chances are, my wife will be decorating our home with many pumpkins, gourds, and fake fall foliage while I do it.
Brining Simplicity Back
But I also want to focus on the simplicity of the fall season by going outside and enjoying nature along with enjoying the modern conveniences of life. So while I’m watching the game, I’ll make this recipe for Sunday Gameday, which will leave me fulfilled and without the gas my coworker’s have to smell all Monday morning. I’ll buy special treats from Starbucks every now and then, but make our everyday coffee from this recipe posted on the website as well.
And even if I watch all the games on Sunday, I have 6 other days to go outside and take a unique hike that can only be done in Fall. I can go catch these fish species that are best caught in September thru November. Or maybe I’ll just take a camping trip to a National Park, volunteer for a local litter pickup, take a stroll down a tree-laden street and take a deep breathe.
That’s what you’ll find on this website. Not a complete denial of modernity, but a life lived in balance with the nature around us and the contemporary.