Fall is my favorite time of year, especially when we're back home. As a kid, I always loved it because it was the start of a new school year (nerd alert!) but also because everything about nature in autumn seems so perfect to me: the weather, the beautiful palette of trees of all different colors mixed together (best viewed from Skyline Drive in Shenandoah), crunchy leaves dancing in the wind, and the list goes on. Fall fashion and holiday hype aren't bad, either.
Since I know this time next year we'll likely be overseas again, I'm trying to make the most of the seasonal joys we have and will miss while we're gone - especially now that we've all fully recovered from COVID. S has been spending lots of time getting to know his family in the States and getting smothered with love everywhere he goes. He's also made a few new friends big and small and is loving America's spaciousness and food.
One of my favorite traditions is visiting the Cox Farms Fall Festival in Centreville, Virginia. I went when I was a kid and now I can bring my own child, which feels a bit surreal. You have to buy tickets online in advance, but they have two weekends where public service workers (including federal government employees) get a discounted rate. I highly recommend it!
In the Foreign Service, this can be a stressful time of year because even though most people have PCS'd (i.e., moved posts) by the end of summer it's still bidding season (and handshake day, where job offers known as handshakes are officially extended, is next week). I've really appreciated taking the time when I'm off duty to relax with loved ones, soaking up the precious year in DC and trusting that we will wind up exactly where we need to be.
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