An Accelerated Autumn

As reports of an extended Indian Summer in the Midwest continue to reach me here in Scandinavia, I'm more and more compelled to notice the desultory transitional period from summer to winter at my doorstep. Only 10 days ago 70 and sunny was the norm. Oh how quickly things can change when you are roughly 20 latitudinal degrees north of places you have lived for the first 25 years of your life. Speaking of age and transition, I'm 26 now, meaning my early twenties are over, which probably means I should be more responsible or mature or whatever. Anyway, the point is things change, including atmospheric conditions. For instance, during a brief and terrifying period on Thursday morning, it was snowing. Yes, real, frozen, crystalline water fell on September 26th. It might have been the caffeine high I was on, the frustration I was feeling about an unsolved research problem, or a combination of the two, but I nearly lost it. There was a severe disconnect between the calendar date and what I was seeing out the window. Anyway it only lasted something like 30 minutes, but it happened and it's something I'll always remember about being in northern Sweden.

The actual day-by-day weather has been rainy and cold, kind of like late fall in Michigan/Wisconsin. The trees, once vibrantly green, have undergone stunning transformations into their traditional autumnal glories.

'Dead leaves and the dirty ground'?

Umeå is like a giant arboretum. And everyone knows arboretums are most spectacular in the fall. Here you walk down paths connecting two buildings, yet are interminably surrounded by towering birch and pine trees. The sights are great, but smells create nostalgia:  cold air freezing your nose while aromas of dry leaves and musty pine bring to mind late-night bonfires, early-morning tailgates, a sweater right out of the dryer, catching falling leaves, and cider so hot it burns your tongue because you are too impatient to let it to cool before the first sip.

All this rain here also means the low level forest growth of things I thought only existed on Nintendo gaming consoles:

Dude, do you know where that second warp whistle is?

This makes me want to do this.

I like you Autumn. Please don't end too soon.

Skål!