Falling leaves, falling rain

I have always been a sucker for fall. There is something about this time of year that stirs something new and subtle in me, yet calms me, all at the same time. I've never fully understood why, and I've never really questioned it. Chalk it up to having a birthday in September, being a nerd who loves to buy new school supplies, someone who gets a little too excited about preview week for prime time shows; I love fall.

There are two parts to my love for fall, and it is a direct reflection of my bi-coastal life. There is nothing more beautiful than autumn in New York, when the leaves change and the air gets crisp, and when you look at the hills they almost appear to be on fire with all the reds and oranges and yellows that exist. That doesn't happen here in Portland. Leaves here go from green to yellow to dead, and when someone sees a tree with a little bit of orange or red, they stand in awe of "all the color." Little do they know what a truly pathetic showing of color it really is. You can't blame them; if you have never seen the East Coast in the fall, I'm sure one tree with some red and orange leaves might look pretty. They don't even know that it pales in comparison.


That being said, even though there is a definite lack of color here in Oregon, I love, more than anything, waking up to the sound of rain. Ninety percent of the people I know here will tell me I am crazy, that they hate this time of year when sunny days become a rare occurrence and grey skies settle in. Apparently the fact that we have  rainy days for almost nine months out of each year should make me dread the start, make me cling to the very last rays of sun, willing summer to stay just a few days longer... but see, I already know how much it rains here. And I love Portland for it.

This morning I woke up and all I could hear was the rain hitting the leaves on the tree outside my window. I stretched, smiled, and lied there listening to it for a few minutes before I rolled out of bed. I am excited for next fall, when I'm in New York and get to see my first east coast fall in years. I'm excited to feel the crisp air and drink apple cider and see the hills on fire all around me. But I will miss Portland and the constant rain. I'll be trading my rain gear in for something a little more insulated and warm. I'm a bi-coastal child; my parents have given me a deep appreciation for their respective sides of the country, and I feel pretty thankful for that.

So for now, I will continue to love every morning soundtrack I have of raindrops falling on leaves, and look forward to next year's backdrop of colors galore.