nos peaux d'été

There is something about the changing seasons that makes me feel really nostalgic, particularly the transition from summer to fall. I guess I still haven't really come to grips with the fact that I'm not in school anymore and la rentrée (what the French call back to school) is for something that no longer affects me the way it used too -- it's not the same being a teacher and going back to school.

It seems within the last ten days, autumn has suddenly befallen this city which is very strange as I remember it being pretty warm up until mid-October last year, and even swimming in the sea. It could be because of the rainy weather, but I also sense the way the light is changing and how the days are gradually becoming shorter and the mornings... Colder...

image from here.

Brief story: In my apartment, I have an window which essentially takes up a whole wall with a sliding glass door to the terrace and there are these big heavy metal shutters that roll down and they kind of look like the big metal doors outside a bank when it's closed. The idea is that they block out light, which they do rather effectively (read: they make you feel like you're sleeping in a coffin like a vampire -- right, Kat?) so for the summer when it was 35°C/95°F degrees, I began leaving one shutter half open to let some air in. It means it gets super light super early which took some getting used to but it made me feel much, much more normal (this would be another thing I would add to the list of weird things about french people -- why do they all have those shutters that block out the light? I guess it's great for taking naps... But it seems totally disorienting waking up at noon feeling like it's 4:00 am because it's pitch black)

I digress. Anyway, I've been sleeping with one sheet on my bed, the shutter up, fan on and the window open since June and I've been loving it. Loving it. I didn't even care that I don't have air conditioning because it was nice waking up with the fresh air (despite the mosquitos). This morning, I woke up and it was 7°C/44°F outside and I was in my shorts and tank top shivering underneath a little sheet. And that's when I realized... Oh no... I wasn't expecting the sunshine to go away! Now every time I go into my closet, I can tell my coats are beginning to eyeball me, as if to say "...it's coming..."

Noooo, please! I can't take another season without sunglasses! What am I supposed to do with the sandals I just bought! The swimsuit! The cute tank tops!

With the weird weather and things suddenly becoming colder and the whole yearning that comes with the changing seasons, I've honestly just felt like sitting around in my snuggie (yeah, whatofit?!) watching movies like Garden State and listening to Ray Lamontagne and desperately trying to figure out how I can get my hands on something resembling a pumpkin spice latte, not to mention thinking about that plane ticket that's waiting for me on December 17th... But of course, life doesn't really work that way. And December is kind of a long ways away. Blurg. 

bises.