It’s fall here in Ohio. Leaves are starting to turn. The weather is cooling off. Rain had the week booked.

And you know something?

There are folks here who don’t care. Sometimes I’m the weird one for liking the rain, the leaves, the cold.

And you know something else?

I’ve figured out why.

It’s because people here are used to it. I’m not.

Come on–let me show you fall through West-Coast eyes…

Sweater weather, not sweaty weather.

For those who don’t know, I’m from California. L.A. Seasons don’t exist over there.

Fall is boring and hot. Halloweens are sweaty and “cold weather” usually it’s in the 60s, at the coolest. Personally, I’d put a hoodie on when it hits 75. Sometimes…sometimes I’ll crank the AC just to be able to wear a fall sweater and get a mug of cocoa. I know I’m not the only one guilty of that. We like to pretend. We like to pretend that “sweater weather” is a thing.

And actually, that’s not even limited to the supposed “fall months.”

I remember going to Six Flags (Magic Mountain) in the summer. That theme park is basically in the desert. No real shade. It was like 90-something degrees in the day. (I definitely didn’t hydrate well for the whole first few hours.)

Anyway, I was with a friend, and at the end of the day we were looking at all the Batman merch (as one does). We found these awesome sweatshirts–blue and purple, with Batman in a comic-book style. We each picked one up and went to the checkout. As the guy was ringing us up, he made a comment like this: “Sweatshirts, huh? You’ll have to wait a while to wear these.”

My friend and I shared a glance. “Uhuh,” we said. But secretly, we both knew that we’d be putting on the sweatshirts as soon as we got home. Summer nights get chilly in Cali. It’d probably be, like, 70 degrees when we got home. Boom. Sweater weather.

Okay, okay–before you come at me with pitchforks and torches, let me learn you something:

70 degrees in California is NOT the same as 70 degrees in, say, Cambridge, Ohio. It just isn’t. I thinks it’s because it’s a dry heat.

I swear it’s not as bad as it sounds…

Not just dead.

Here’s my second point.

Trees in Cali?

They just die. No fanfare. One day they’re alive, the next they’re bare and crunchy and ugly. Brown and wilty and blah.

In Ohio, trees light up with fall colors. They look like they’re on fire, a sea of oranges and reds and yellows.

In Cali, if the trees look like they’re on fire, it’s probably because they are on fire.

And I know most people here do love all the fall colors. Folks love to see the leaves turn!

But I’m not sure everyone fully understands how awesome it is.

Like I said: where I’m from, dead things just die. They’re not beautiful while they do it.

But in true autumn, there’s a process. There’s a show. It makes me think… Everything ends, right? But it doesn’t need to be ugly.

There’s beauty in the falling leaves. In the rolling, wispy, gray clouds. In the shimmering gleam of rain.

There’s beauty in the way nature falls asleep.

On that note…

Are you feeling inspired? Feeling the fall vibes?

Well, I’ve got a treat for you!

I’m going to be judging the Fall Writing Challenge hosted by The Company!

The theme is “Out Of Time” and there’s a $100 Amazon gift card on the line! The winner will also get their story published on The Pearl. You could play around with time-travel, compose a heist, or pen a story about someone on a tight deadline to enter a contest—anything is fair game! 

It’s FREE to submit, and submissions are open right now! Anyone can enter!

Click the image below for extra details, and for info on how to submit!