Turn up the Heat

As I stare out my window at the dreary, gray, damp day I think it’s time to admit the obvious: Summer is over. The mere thought makes me want to cry. How depressing. Minor things have been popping up for weeks hinting that autumn would soon be upon us, but I didn’t quite believe it had arrived until last night. Here are some of the tell-tale signs that I have tried desperately to ignore:

• When I went camping over Labor Day weekend, it was COLD at night in the tent. Only a month before I had barely been able to sleep inside a tent in Eastern Washington without suffocating from the heat.
• Going out on the town at night now requires a jacket; the chill in the air can’t be ignored any more.
• When I wake up in the morning for work, I am no longer greeted by sunlight streaming through my window. Instead, my apartment is quite dim, and I actually have to turn on the lights.
• I went to my brother’s football game this past Friday night, and I wore my ski jacket. My hands were still kind of cold.
• The sun now sets hours earlier than it did a month and a half ago, which does not encourage my mood to attend happy hour.
• Look around. The leaves are starting to change colors.
• The television season has begun. Last night was the season premier of The Amazing Race, and this week dozens of more shows will follow, marking the beginning of winter hibernation.
• I’ve started thinking about what I want to be for Halloween this year.
• My parents are making plans for Christmas.
• Most importantly, last night when I got home I did the unthinkable: I turned on the heat in my apartment. Granted, it’s free, but I have been too stubborn to turn it up thus far, wanting to hang onto those last days of summer.

I’m trying hard not to let depression set in, but I have to admit that my mood is sort of altered. I went home to my parent’s house this weekend just for some relaxation, peace and quiet. I felt I just couldn’t handle another weekend of drunken debauchery, and neither could my bank account. However, I need to keep in mind that fall and winter are actually full of great things. There’s Halloween, which is arguable one of the most fun holidays of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are also pretty fabulous. My 25th birthday is looming as well. The only real downfall is the weather, which will force me back into the gym and the tanning bed.

In all honesty though, I think there’s only one thing that will get me through another winter in Seattle… Looking forward to next summer.