So far, I am really enjoying the fall.  It has been a radiant one here, with changing colors and life everywhere I look.

People up here pride themselves on fall, a season so fleeting that if you don’t pay attention, you might not see the beauty so brilliant it prevents you from feeling the bitter cold.  In Seattle I never loved the fall, although it is beautiful when it is sunny, similar to almost seasons in Seattle, you don’t get those sunny days very often.  In Brussels, fall is the best season, better than summer which always disappointed me, but I was always guaranteed sunshine during the fall season. But here in the Northeast, fall is THE season to enjoy — trees changing, cooler weather, wool coats, scarves and gloves, warm drinks and long walks.  And if you take a moment to look up for a moment, you can be surprised by the gorgeous display.

This fall, I have also been thinking about another “fall”, the destruction of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago.  I remember where I was, in Mr. Swidler’s history class — and I remember well him telling us that we were witnessing history.  At the time it didn’t mean much, but my trip to Berlin last year reminded me of how much really changed when the wall fell.  It is still standing in areas of Berlin, drawing a line between the city and its people.  The city has evolved in so many ways since 1989, but pieces of the old system remain, reminding us constantly of how seasons are always changing, and the fall will always come, creating a different landscape, preparing us for the winter.  All that is solid melts into air.