I have always loved autumn. Where I come from, we don’t have the season, yet somehow my heart belongs to it. Maybe it’s the colours — warm golds, fiery reds, soft browns — that paint the world in comfort. Maybe it’s the feeling of coziness that seems stitched into the season itself. Or maybe it’s as simple as a drink: the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, my absolute favourite, with its spicy sweetness that makes me feel like autumn is hugging me from the inside out.
When I think of autumn, I imagine love. Not only the romantic kind, but love for life, for quiet moments, for the stillness of nature. In my mind, I often wander to Vermont — though I have no real reason why Vermont, I just do. Maybe because I imagine it as a place tucked away from the rest of the world, a place where I can live a life completely different from that of my siblings, a life carved out of my own dreams.
In that dream, there’s a ranch-style home sitting on a wide stretch of land. It’s modern, but with a timeless soul. I don’t see myself waking at dawn to tend to animals — that’s never been me, and honestly, I’d feel guilty if I couldn’t keep up with them. But I do see a German Shepherd roaming freely, loyal and watchful, and a few wild horses running gracefully across the land, untamed yet belonging.
The heart of this home, though, is the veranda — a wide terrace with exquisite, understated furniture. Nothing excessive, just the kind of pieces that make you sink into comfort while still feeling touched by elegance. Mornings would begin here, with a cup of something warm, a journal in hand, and the crisp autumn air filling my lungs. Evenings would close the circle, gathered around an outdoor fireplace, flames flickering against the chill, stories unfolding under a sky full of stars.
This is more than a house in my imagination; it’s a retreat. A vacation home where life slows down, where children can grow close to nature, far from the noise of the modern world. A place to breathe, to love, and to live differently — softly, intentionally, beautifully.
Maybe that’s why autumn speaks to me so deeply: because it feels like a season that holds space for both warmth and change, for stillness and transformation. And somewhere, in a quiet corner of Vermont or just in my heart, autumn is always waiting for me.
✨ A gentle reflection for you:
If you could design your own “autumn dream,” where would it take you? What colors would surround you? What would the air smell like, what sounds would you hear, and what feelings would rise in you? Close your eyes, let yourself wander, and then write it down. Sometimes the places we imagine are gentle hints of what our soul is secretly longing for.
💌 Until next time, may you always find little corners of warmth and beauty — no matter where you are in the world.
“May your days be wrapped in warmth, like autumn leaves falling softly around you.”
Salima
Just me thinking out loud over here