Dear autumn,

Hi again, from another coast. Yes, it's still me and I'm still obsessed with you, only now I'm in a sunnier place and hoping we can still meet this year.

Cold Spring, NY

I've forgotten a bit about what you're like down here in Southern California. Growing up, autumn was my favorite because the giant tree in our front yard became brilliant, and then bare. It was a metaphor for something I couldn't articulate at the time. Decades removed from it, I see now that it was a reminder that things will always change.

Living in DC and then New York, I came to love you even more – in a way I didn't think was possible. The air was cooler, the leaves gave off a different kind of crunch, and the scarves and hats I saw on mannequins in the stores actually function as a practical addition to my wardrobe. I wanted to sink into my couch and drink warm apple cider...and that's honestly a desire that hasn't gone away. Autumn is a time for comforting things, and these are the things I know to be comforting:

• The aforementioned warm apple cider (with a cinnamon stick, if possible)
• Bath & Body Works candles
• Herbal tea
• Dark reds and oranges (berry/wine red lip colors are as divine as ever in these months)
• Knit scarves
• Gilmore Girls
• Mukluks
• When Harry Met Sally