Fun in Florida Fall

A pumpkin patch in Florida - could it be? Anything can happen in today’s global economy when pumpkins can be shipped from anywhere, displayed artfully on hay and called a patch. And that’s just what Southern Hills farm in Clermont did to help bring a little hint of fall to the “never below 80 degrees” state of Florida.

There’s a lot I like about Florida weather, but I miss fall. Not the fall we have nowadays in Indiana where it’s summer through September and then it snows in October, but the fall when I was a kid when the air stayed crisp but not uncomfortable and the trees changed all at once - where you can wear cozy sweaters without a coat outside on a walk.

I couldn’t quite recreate that at the pumpkin patch - I made a last-minute change from jeans back into shorts, which was a wise move - but it at least felt a little like fall. My friend Nikki and I sipped on apple cider (slushies) while picking through the pumpkin selection, far away from theme parks and traffic. So we also took photos in sunflower and zinnia fields - it just makes Florida fall a bit more interesting.

There’s a lot of change that happens when you move. Moving to Florida requires a lot of adjustment, and not just from the weather (although it was 50 last night as I shivered in my Christmas Party costume). But adjustment is just another way of learning and growing - even if that’s just collecting pumpkins in shorts, or learning to celebrate little victories or problem-solve daily challenges alone.

I’ve had a lot of fun in Florida fall - but I’m excited to see what comes next in winter.