Early September
From summer to fall
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EARLY SEPTEMBER
I love to sleep in a cold room. Many summers ago, while on a cross-country road trip, Amrita learned this the hard way. For over six weeks, I froze her out of every hotel and Airbnb that we shared. Back then, instead of working to find a compromise, I was a monster who insisted that she bundle up. When it comes to temperature, things have changed since that trip in 2014. While I still love a cold bedroom, these days I can’t stomach the power bill or my carbon footprint sized guilt. The thermostat now stays at 78 degrees during the day and a reasonable 74/75 degrees at night.
Recently, though, we’ve begun to get the first hints of the cooler season ahead. Fall isn’t here just yet but the recent cool nights have been a pleasant change. They mark the beginning of open-window-sleeping-season. A fleeting time of year when a beautiful balance of warm days and cool nights create the optimal conditions for a good night’s sleep. This time of year I often open the windows in the early evening to cool the house down. It’s not as transcendent a feeling as my mother’s attic fan which can pull the heat out of her mountain home in minutes, replacing the humid-laden air with the cool, freshness of night. Still, I like throwing open the sash. Particularly, I enjoy the stream of cool air that flirts with the leaves on the plants by the window, dances my candle’s piney scent around the room, and leaves my nose a little cold.
As I adjust to the coming change of season, I’m reminded of how this time of year can be a tricky adjustment for me. This fall feels like it will be a busy one. Already, my days are fuller than expected and my to-do list is so long I stopped looking at it. Early September is a time when I plan for the rest of the year and yet I haven’t anything fun in my plans. I have no clue what is going on in the city. What’s the new show? Who’s on tour? Are there new restaurants? Who haven’t I seen all summer? Who do I want to reach out to? With the cooler nights, I am getting a good night’s sleep. But for what? Add all of this to the to-do list.
I’m not depressed or anything. I’m just in a transitional moment; awkwardly changing out of summer’s slouchy t-shirt and into fall’s tweed jacket with its reinforced elbow patches. Every September, at about this time, I take stock of where I am in the year and feel an anxious urge to get moving. It’s like the warm air is rushing past the cold air, or the other way around. It’s unsteady and it’s changing and it’s a good thing.