Oh How I Miss Autumn!

I find myself feeling so very jealous of my dear family and friends back home in the states. While some may long for a full year of fun in the sun, right about now I feel the need for the change of season that won't be coming.

I miss the hues of crimsons, golds and caramels on the trees, as well as blanketing the ground. I miss bundling up in layers of sweaters and jackets, scarves and gloves. I miss watching my breath come out in puffs as I breathe in the frosty air. I miss nights curled up by the fireplace drinking hot cocoa and snuggling by my sweetheart. I miss the cold.

I remember once in Virginia, which is actually a slightly warmer climate then my true home, stopping to get gas. I was in jeans and a t shirt, it was somewhere around 60 degrees, so while I wasn't comfortable exactly, I definitely wasn't freezing by any means. This man in a sweater was in front of me, and looked so surprised as he stood there hugging himself watching me casually wait for the tank to finish filling up. He just gawked and said "Aren't you cold?" And I explained that this was pretty much spring time weather where I grew up. Summers even rarely got up very high, maybe a handful of days over 90, but generally 80s at most. So for me, 60 degrees was a good middle ground. I laugh at that now!

I get the distinct feeling when we go home this year for a November visit, by body will be going into a bit of a cold shock! After all, for 2 years now I haven't left the warmth of this humid, tropical island. I am guessing by the time we leave again, our bodies will just begin to remember their roots and we will be thrown back into the fire that is Guam.

I know this is the place we need to be right now, and for the next 2 years. But I don't think I will ever stop longing for the change of seasons. I have never even been a very big fan of change in general, but this change from bright grassy greens and sky blues, to caramel leaves and fiery trees, I welcome. And then the bittersweet fact, the older I get the faster time seems to pass, even as I long for it to slow down, so I know it won't be long before I get to enjoy the colors of autumn again.