New England Autumn: A Wanderer's Return to Fall
Hey travel friends!
There's something magical about returning to your birthplace, especially when it coincides with New England's most spectacular season. After months in Southeast Asia's tropical embrace, I've found myself back among the familiar sights and scents of a New England fall, and it's stirring memories I didn't even know I'd missed.
The Symphony of Fall Colors
Walking through my childhood stomping grounds, I'm struck by nature's artistic display. The trees are wearing their autumn finest - a palette of golden browns interspersed with stubborn patches of green, as if some leaves are reluctant to admit summer's end. It's been years since I've witnessed this seasonal transformation, and I'd forgotten just how remarkable it can be.
Unexpected Exercise: The Wood-Stacking Meditation
My homecoming relaxation was briefly interrupted by a quintessential New England task - stacking a cord of wood. Yet even this chore carried its own charm. There's something meditative about the rhythmic motion of lifting and stacking, the woody scent of fresh-cut logs, and the satisfaction of watching the pile grow into neat rows. It's the kind of work that connects you to generations of New Englanders who've prepared for winter in exactly the same way.
A Feast for the Senses
The landscape here offers a stark but beautiful contrast to the tropical scenes I've grown accustomed to in Southeast Asia. Instead of humid heat, there's that distinctive New England fall air - crisp and clean, carrying hints of dried leaves and distant woodsmoke. The sky presents a different kind of beauty too - brilliant blue canvas dotted with white clouds that seem close enough to touch.
Nature's State of Undress
The trees here are in various states of undress, some already bare, their leaves carpeting the ground below. There's beauty even in this decay - the way the fallen leaves crunch underfoot, the patterns of lichen on exposed bark, the dance of remaining leaves in the autumn breeze. It's a reminder that nature's beauty isn't just in growth, but in the whole cycle of seasons.
Water's Different Dance
The lakes here reflect a deeper blue than I've seen in months, their surfaces ruffled by the cool fall breeze. Small brooks babble over rocks, their sound different somehow from the tropical streams I've grown used to - clearer, crisper, like the air itself. It's amazing how water can sound so different in different parts of the world.
Two Homes, Two Hearts
While I'm savoring every moment of this autumn interlude, my thoughts occasionally drift to my other home in Vietnam. It's a strange and wonderful thing to have your heart split between two places so different from each other. Each has its own beauty, its own rhythm, its own way of making you feel at home.
A Temporary Return
This visit, though brief, has been a gift - a chance to reconnect with the seasons that shaped my childhood. Soon enough, I'll return to the warmth and vibrancy of Vietnam, but for now, I'm drinking in every golden moment of this New England fall.
Sharing Seasons
I'd love to hear about your experiences with seasonal changes and returning home. Have you ever experienced the shock of seasonal contrast when traveling between different parts of the world? How does it feel to return to familiar weather patterns after being away? Share your stories in the comments below!
Until then, excuse me while I go shuffle through some more fallen leaves - some childhood joys never get old, no matter how far you've traveled.
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