How to fall for Fall (and not wish it was still summer)

Maybe because I love the summer months so much, I forget how beautiful a season autumn really is.  This year, I chose to spend the first week of fall in Germany. It was an amazing experience. Fall farmer’s markets offering the harvest bounty of fruits and veggies, smoked fish, farm fresh eggs, marinated Italian specialties, cheese and sausages, as well as a multitude of fall bouquets and wreaths. Hearty fare served al fresco on street side patios. Sipping large hot cups of freshly roasted coffee sporting chic cognac coloured boots and draped in long cozy sweater coats. Exploring century old hiking trails along rivers, through deep forests and wide-open sunny fields.  Europeans really know how to embrace the different seasons. It was the inspiration for this blog.

Let’s fall for Fall!

While Germans enjoy leisure hikes in the Rhine Valley, stopping at vineyards along the way to taste the first batches of the new white wine called Federweisser, North Americans enjoy their unique flora and fauna while spotting local wildlife abound.  Regardless of which continent you live in, the fall offers such a bounty of foods and experiences.  I usually only make a summer bucket list, so why not one for fall?

There is something anticipatory about this time of year.  Maybe it is the fact that the abundance of the harvest is coming in? North American farmers markets are full of a copious just-picked natural delicacies: Apples, pears, plums, tomatoes, pumpkins, grapes, kale, cabbages and mushrooms.  And we can now enjoy those indoor activities again which we with stained from when the sun beckoned us outside.  Fireplaces are lit once more. We cradle hot cups of tea while watching the first blustering rain storms. We enjoy watching movies at home again without feeling the least bit guilty. Recipes for heartier fare are dug out. Jams are made. Pickling and fermenting begins. Impromptu barbeques are replaced by indoor dinner parties.

All good stuff!

Since the fall season is usually a lot shorter for most of us than the winter or summer seasons are, the more reason to get intentional about how to maximize your fall experience. Want some inspiration to help you really enjoy the fall?  Check out my fall bucket list below!

Inspiration for your best autumn ever!

1.Hike to your heart’s content. The fall is the best time do hike in the great outdoors. The bugs are long gone and so are the crowds. Sure, you need to wear a few extra layers, but it is well worth it because the mountain and forest air is so much fresher after it has rained. The moss becomes moist and vibrant green again. The fall colours of the deciduous trees are always an awe-inspiring sight, especially with the warm rich glow of sunbeams beams filtering through them.

2. Forage for mushrooms.  While you are outside, change your perspective by looking down and not up.  Mushroom picking allows you perceive nature from a whole new angle. Instead of trying to hike to a destination (like up a mountain), it was you slow down to stop and focus on the miniature ecosystems which is at your feet. To be honest, I never expected to enjoy mushroom picking until I tried it for the first time 15 years ago when I lived in Europe. It’s a lot like a gigantic Easter Egg hunt, except you find yummy mushrooms instead of chocolate. It feels strangely satisfying when you fry up your hard-earned mushroom morsels at the end of a great day of being outside. It’s also a great thing to do with a group of friends. Pack a picnic and make it a day outing.

3. Enjoy your local farmer’s markets. The fall is the best time to go to local farmers’ markets.  This is the time of year nature has been building up to. Unless you are growing your own food, there is no better place to get fresh, wholesome goodness from farm to table. Take in a fresh steaming cup of coffee and some local music as you watch your kids play and the colorful leaves dance their way down from the trees. Autumn nirvana. Handmade baked goods, perogies, sauerkraut, wine. Farmer’s markets attract every age group and nationality in a tapestry of culinary bliss.

4. Find the perfect pumpkin. This is especially fun if you have young children. Take a weekend day before Halloween to explore your local fields to find the perfect pumpkin. Not in the store but on the pumpkin patch. The further outside of town you have to go, the better! Again, make a day out of it and give a local farm some love.  Farms often offer a plethora of of fun activities for the whole family: Pony rides, petting zoos, hot chocolate by a fire pit, fresh seasonal pies. You can’t go wrong.

5. Give thanks. Thanksgiving is one of the loveliest holidays. Lots of great food enjoyed with the people you love minus the expectation to exchange gifts. Not only is the typical harvest fare amazing, but you simply can’t beat coming together with family and appreciate what you have in each other. It is a great time to reflect and reconnect with what is really important. And a great time to be happy for the life you are blessed to live. Give thanks for what you have and get excited for what you have yet to create in the upcoming months.

6. Get ready for the next year. Just as this is the time to put bulbs in the soil for next spring’s bloom, this is a good time of year to prepare yourself for an amazing year ahead. And avoid getting caught off guard on New Year’s morning.  If you feel there is room for improvement in your life and could benefit from being coached to explore your options, please CLICK HERE to contact me for an obligation free first call to find out if coaching is for you.  Alternatively, if you like the idea of knowing how to coach yourself, then invest in yourself to find out how.  CLICK HERE  to save a spot on my upcoming 12 week Mastermind Group. You will learn all of the tips and tricks on how to coach yourself at your leisure and convenience whenever you want to.

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What do you like to do this time of year? What traditions do you have? Please share them in the comment section below. And be sure to share this post with friends and family!

Namaste,

Simone

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Simone Alberts is the founder of The Self Coach Approach. She empowers freedom seekers by teaching them how to coach themselves so that they can independently create the life they really want wherever and whenever they want to.