"Autumn Lovin'" doesn't have the same ring to it...

September 1, 2012 4:39 PM

Am unreasonably depressed by the end of summer. What things to do/try/look forward to in fall and winter?

I live in the Northeast of the US. When winter comes, it comes pretty hard. And I love summer so much. It is my favorite season. I love sunshine, long days, and not having to worry about SAD because I have enough vitamin D in my system. I love the general sense of enthusiasm people have on a beautiful day and animals and children playing.

But enough about summer-- there are plenty of other seasons. I think it would help to look forward to some new fall activities.

What can I plan to do to enjoy the fall and take pleasure in the unique beauty. How can I get it out of my mind that our side of the planet is slowly going to start winding down for winter?- or rather, enjoy it?

Any suggestions would be welcome... Oktoberfest- I'm looking at you!

posted by kettleoffish to grab bag (41 answers total)

As someone who is lactose intolerant, I suggest you look forward to hot chocolate with marshmallows because damn that shit is awesome.
posted by griphus at 4:42 PM on September 1, 2012

As someone who hates bugs when I'm outside, I always appreciate winter because it's bug-free.
posted by Wild_Eep at 4:51 PM on September 1, 2012 [5 favorites]

Fresh apple pie or apple crisp in the fall is great.
posted by Wild_Eep at 4:52 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Go on vacation.

Take up winter sports. That'll probably work better. You could get excited about skiing or snowboarding.
posted by thylacine at 4:53 PM on September 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

Buy a really nice sweater or jacket that is just slightly outside of your normal price range. Nothing makes fall fun like new sweaters and jackets.
posted by milarepa at 4:53 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Things I am celebrating this fall:

The fact that Pumpkin Show exists.
Talk Like a Pirate Day.
It is now time to wear truly awesome socks.
This poster will be shipping soon.
posted by shesbookish at 4:53 PM on September 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

Halloween!
posted by corey flood at 4:55 PM on September 1, 2012

If fall and winter depress you, why don't you consider moving to a warmer climate? I moved from Michigan to California and never looked back. There was a certain feeling I'd often get in Michigan (call it ennui, blue, SAD, or whatever) that I NEVER get in California. Not even once. And I don't even love hot sun.
posted by Dansaman at 4:56 PM on September 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Fall in the northeast is a splendid time for bicycle touring. Got a bike? Explore some rail trails, plan a weekend of road touring in Vermont, or train for a foliage tour or fundraising event. Haven't got a bike? Maybe now would be a good time to get one.

Also, a little "back to school" clothes shopping (even though I'm not going back to school) helps get me over the summer-to-fall transition hump. It's nice to have new clothes and shoes that I'm excited to wear.
posted by Orinda at 5:07 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Skiing! Skiing is pretty darn easy to pick up in less than a day with a good teacher, and going down a slope without falling for the first time is an awesome feeling. Flying down a slope is one of my favorite things in the world. I only get to do it once a year, but man, the happiness stays for a long, long time.
posted by krakus at 5:08 PM on September 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

Corn mazes!!
posted by jrossi4r at 5:19 PM on September 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cider mills! Pumpkin carving. Fall color tours. Bonfires. Fires in the fireplace. Football. Skiing/sledding/snow play. Going to bed early with a good book. Hot chocolate. Thanksgiving! Christmas!
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:20 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Indoor sports. Last winter I picked up racket sports just to be around people and have something fun to do. It made an amazing difference in my mood and the winter flew by. Most of the time I am playing pickleball, but other indoor racket sports include tennis, badminton, racketball, squash, etc. and there are LOTS of indoor sports you can play in general, from beginner to advanced.
posted by circular at 5:21 PM on September 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

If all else fails, know that only 3 weeks into December, the days start getting longer again.
posted by Wild_Eep at 5:22 PM on September 1, 2012 [4 favorites]

I ritually read this piece aloud on the autumnal equinox.

For me fall is all about the food. Actually that's true of winter, too. I try to seize the fuck out of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Last year I helped throw an enormous holiday party with scratch-made egg nog and rum punch and all kinds of ridiculous baked goods, and it was awesome.

I'm right there with you on the SAD, so I just work extra-hard to enjoy the things I can't enjoy as much when it's warmer.

This year, I've discovered a nearby bar that apparently makes great hot buttered rum, so yeah. That's figuring into my plans pretty heavily.
posted by Sokka shot first at 5:22 PM on September 1, 2012 [4 favorites]

Plant some daffodil bulbs. I love seeing my daffodils pop out of the ground. I think of them giving winter the finger.
posted by Wild_Eep at 5:23 PM on September 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

Nesting! Nesting is pretty awesome. You know that feeling that you get when you are super cozy and warm and all that? That's the result of nesting. For me, this generally takes the process of getting my house tidy and clean and laying in provisions for the winter in case I get snowed in. (Granted, being snowed in like that for extended periods of time is fairly unlikely to happen, but it's nice to be able to not have to worry about having to run to the store because you are out of coffee or pet food.)

You want comfy blankets, candles (preferably ones that smell like food and are wintery scents like cinnamon and pumpkin), thick soup, stews, flannel pajamas, space heaters, etc. All those things that are cozy and comfortable. In the summer, those things that seem to be too heavy to wear or eat are just perfect in the wintertime.

Other things that are fun in the wintertime are snowball fights and sledding! And then coming back to your little nest and changing into warm pajamas and having a nice cup of hot chocolate.

On a more religiousy note (I'm a witch), fall is when the earth prepares to rest and winter is actually resting. So while you're stuck indoors, you can start making plans for what you want to do next year in the summertime. Is there an awesome festival that you want to go to? Start planning what you might need to purchase and who you might want to go with. But take the time to rest. If you are constantly running around, you might not think you need some downtime, but everyone needs some time to rest. So use the winter to relax and recharge and be ready for the summer.

As for combating the mental blues--those sunlight lamps aren't super expensive and do wonders for my mental health. I have this one and sit in front of it in the morning while I eat breakfast for about 30-45 minutes. I also take vitamin D (but I was blood tested and am deficient) so that might be an avenue to explore with your doctor.

But trust me on the nesting.
posted by sperose at 5:33 PM on September 1, 2012 [16 favorites]

Oh good lord, for me the best part about fall is not being covered in sweat at 7:30 a.m.

A fun fall thing for me is watching kids play soccer or football. Not the tiny ones and not the teenagers, but 7-11 year olds. Ignore their insane parents and watch them delight in the game. A lot of parks and YMCAs have walking tracks that surround their playing fields, so you can take a brisk walk (maybe listen to a book on tape or a podcast) and stop every once in a while to watch without looking like a creeper.

Farmers markets are great in the fall, for apples and squashes and stuff. Roast a butternut squash, then blend it up with some chicken or vegetable stock and make some soup.

Shuffle in a pile of leaves, if you can find some that were raked up instead of blown all over the place.

Sleep with the windows open and snuggle under the covers in the morning.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:38 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Renaissance festivals, not getting sweaty, sleeping with the windows open, hiking in state parks, taking picnics and not having to worry about bugs, visiting pretty much everything south of the 37th parallel without having to worry about bugs, discounts at many major vacation spots and theme parks, pumpkin pie/cookies/etc., the excuse to put cinnamon in food, going outside without your glasses fogging up, really inexpensive school supplies, being able to take a warm bath or shower without feeling icky ten minutes later, not fearing the consequences of leaving soda cans in the car after 8am, cross-country skiing, sledding in local parks, not having bugs/snakes/horrible creatures popping up in my kitchen, lower electric (read: air conditioning) bills, "fall back" means I'm less tired for at least a week, not having horrible static/horrible sweaty gross hair (applies to fall only), insanely pretty pictures of pretty much every natural thing ever, roasted corn fresh from the fields, bonfires aren't illegal till spring, several major holidays involve roasting foods, the months of November and December are a bonanza for Oscar-bait films/family films/selected blockbusters/THE HOBBIT, new seasons of many major US TV shows, playing the "which series won't even make it to the third episode" game.
posted by SMPA at 5:58 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Sleeping in on the weekends with the dog up on our bed.
posted by mon-ma-tron at 5:59 PM on September 1, 2012

Looking forward a few months...there were some good suggestions in this previously about getting in tune with the colder season. Maybe some of them will work for your autumnal mood as well.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:00 PM on September 1, 2012

- I walk a lot and long walks in the fall/winter are better because you aren't boiling!
- the leaves in the fall are freaking beautiful!
- bare branches on the trees in the winter is fun to photograph (just add snow–or rain),
- hot tea!
- staying in when it's really cold and having a movie/tv night,
- hot cocoa + a good book,
- making homemade soup (or chili, or stuffed acorn squash, or a big vat of tomato sauce) warms up the whole place,
- carving pumpkins!
- football (for me it's the sound of football in the background while I'm cooking),
- the days are shorter but the light is different in fall and winter and it helps me with issues of losing light to notice this and try to figure out what is going on there,
- boots, gloves, scarves, coats, hats–if you are into that kind of thing,
- candles,
-waking up after the first snowfall when the whole world looks like a gingerbread town,
- and, occasionally, a whole city shuts down due to bad weather and though that's officially 'bad', there's something great and deeply comforting about everyone pulling together to shovel or help their neighbors out due to a snow storm. As well, it can mean no work or school and you can't worry about it–it's out of your hands, it's a snow day!
posted by marimeko at 6:03 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

All those kids are off my lawn and back in school!
posted by NoraCharles at 6:19 PM on September 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Moved to the Mid West US from Australia. I've found winters here very hard and had a bad case of SAD the first 2 winters. Things I am looking forward too and that were completely new for me moving here. The smell of pumpkin spices everywhere. Laying under a big old tree and seeing just how many colours the leaves change into. Walking the dogs under a canopy of leaves in amazing shades of red and gold. Do you have any idea just how amazingly beautiful that shit is when you aren't used to it? Apple picking, eating them straight from the tree, OK we have apples in Australia but the weather seems to suit the whole activity more. Making Apple butter. Jam making and the house smelling of fruit and spices.

The crunch crunch crunch of the snow under your boots when it's really cold.
Planning my garden for the next year.
How pretty everything looks in the lead up to Christmas. I never realised how much prettier Christmas decorations look in the snow, the lights actually twinkling in the cold air. We so need to find our own decorations for the Southern summers.
posted by wwax at 6:26 PM on September 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Food. Soups and stews, roasts, mulled wine. Oven-fresh bread.

Fireplaces.

Satisfaction of having survived another year.
posted by curious nu at 7:03 PM on September 1, 2012

Fall is the biggest season for new books (and the perfect time to mosey on down to a great local bookstore and plant yourself on a comfortable chair with a hot beverage).
posted by charmcityblues at 7:19 PM on September 1, 2012

I know how you feel. I hate how it starts to get dark around four-thirty, and by the time I get home I feel as if the daylight has been stolen from me. I feel like celebrating when daylight saving time finally begins.

Gingerbread with whipped cream. Warm spiced wine. Pumpkin ale. (It's like pumpkin pie in a bottle! Dr. TM loves it.) Spread apricot jam on a wheel of brie, wrap it in pastry, bake it, and have some for breakfast.

Baskets of mums. Go to a pumpkin patch and watch the little kids having fun there. Pick out a pumpkin or two and carve them. Buy some candy and give it out on Halloween if you get trick-or-treaters at your door. Watch a funny scary movie like Young Frankenstein or read some Edgar Allan Poe.

You don't say whether you celebrate Christmas (as secular or religious) but I love decorating for Christmas, beginning the first week of December, and then I wait until halfway through January to take everything down. We always go out to a local Christmas tree farm to visit their reindeer herd and get our own tree, and it smells wonderful. If you do Christmas, you should have a tree. But even if you're not particularly into Christmas, consider putting up some strings of white lights or candles in your windows, or on your trees and shrubs outside. They can stay up as long as you want them to--I leave ours up until March because they make us feel a bit cheerier.

You could also force some bulbs, or buy winter-blooming bulbs to plant indoors, like paperwhites or amaryllis.

Throw a fall or winter party. Invite all your friends over for Thanksgiving dinner, and if you hate turkey, make something else you find wonderful and delicious.

If you like to go hiking, consider getting a pair of snowshoes and trekking poles. Less hassle than skiing, cheaper, and easier to transport. Just after a heavy snow we love to go out to local state parks--once we get away from the sledding hills, we usually have the trails to ourselves and all the beauty and silence of a fresh snowfall. Then we find a cafe or a diner where we can have coffee or cocoa and pie.

Take up birdwatching. For me, watching the different birds passing in and out of our area over the fall and winter months is a great way to mark the seasons, and although wildlife is less abundant it's easier to spot without the dense foliage. I see you're in New York--did you know that bald eagles regularly winter along the Hudson, especially around power plants where it's warmer? They are the most beautiful creatures. Except for the osprey, my favorite bird of prey. When you hear that high-pitched gleeful "I got a fish!" song, you know spring is definitely on the way.

One of my favorite things is to lie in bed and read and drink tea on a Saturday morning in deep winter with my husband and three kitties all in bed with us under a down comforter. If you don't have an animal companion to help you through the dark seasons, maybe you need one. You'll be freeing up space in a shelter for another one who needs to come in out of the cold.

Get a really good, comfy winter coat that you look forward to putting on when it gets really cold. Mine is like being wrapped in a well-fitting down blanket. I never, ever feel cold when I go outside, even when the temperature is ten below.

Spend a few weekend afternoons making soups and broths that freeze well and store them in 1- or 2-cup containers in your freezer. Learn to bake bread, or just buy the kind you can heat up in the oven yourself. Get a slow-cooker and start something in the morning that will fill the house with delicious smells when you get home at night--that will take the edge off the cold and dark.
posted by tully_monster at 7:20 PM on September 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

I would also suggest forcing bulbs. A friend forced a ton of tulips a few years ago and I took a pot to work. It was the single best thing that happened between January and March. I mean, seriously, they made people feel happy! Also, I try to get outside as much as possible.
posted by rachums at 7:45 PM on September 1, 2012

I kinda dread the end of summer every year, too. I pretty much love everything about summer.

Except for the occasional guilty feeling that I'm wasting it. It's almost a feeling of pressure, you know? that if you're still in your PJ's in your kitchen at noon, you should really be swimming or hiking or grilling out with friends or whatever. And I mean, I think I do summer all right -- every year, I swim in a lake, I get more tan than I ought to, I sit in the porch swing, I take evening walks with my family to get ice cream.

The nice thing about winter, for those of us who aren't all that into it, is that you can't waste it. So a Saturday passes where the most adventurous thing you did was shove a chuck roast into a slow oven: so what? It's crappy outside anyway.

I like the idea that it's a time of rest. A release from expectations. Sometimes the sense that you're not missing anything can be liberating.
posted by palliser at 7:51 PM on September 1, 2012 [5 favorites]

You could really enjoy fall and winter this year, but it's true: the cold months are also more resource-intensive and require more planning on your part. Are you prepared for them?

Is your place of residence cold and drafty? This will affect your well-being. If you rent, look into better accommodations. If you own, work on insulating your living space. (You can also improve insulation as a renter, but your options are rather more limited.)

Is your indoor lighting unpleasant or inadequate? Lighting, its quality, and where it's positioned are big parts of how welcoming your place feels after dark. There was a good lighting tip some time ago. Consider buying better lighting, softer lighting, lighting that is placed more effectively and glares less.

Is your cold weather clothing not warm enough, or not comfortable enough? I realize that clothes shopping is expensive, but you really ought to have warm clothes that keep you warm and that you enjoy wearing. If winter was the season I had to wear shapeless sweaters, I'd hate it too.

Consider your options where items like hats, earmuffs, scarves, socks, and gloves are concerned. Nothing's like a comfortable, warm, and dry pair of socks in winter. Also, consider investing in a warm, high-quality bathrobe. And hot cocoa.

In sum, the cold part of the year is for creature comforts. Seek them out! Sometimes very small things can contribute immeasurably to your overall happiness.
posted by Nomyte at 7:56 PM on September 1, 2012

I can't believe I forgot this one.

No more campaign ads.
posted by SMPA at 8:43 PM on September 1, 2012 [5 favorites]

tights and boots weather!!!!!
posted by vespabelle at 9:19 PM on September 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

It might help to find some sort of ritual to mark the end of summer, so you can feel satisfied with your summer and ready for the next thing. Try listening to Mendelssohn's overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, live if possible -- it's pretty much the summeriest thing ever.

Then, lots and lots of social time! I can spend days and days by myself in the summer, keeping myself busy with just how awesome it is out, but in the winter I need to see people for stimulation. Arrange trivia nights, movie nights, cooking together, etc. And observe every holiday with great fanfare -- not just Thanksgiving and Christmas but Halloween, Election Day, New Year's, Valentine's Day, etc. If you play your cards right you should always have something to look forward to within the next three weeks or so, and having something to look forward to really helps break up the monotony of winter.

Winter is the season for big indoor projects that you couldn't stand to stay inside for in the summer. Bake bread! Find an open studio near you and take up a time-intensive hobby, like woodworking or making stained glass.

If you have the space, plan a garden. Looking at endless pictures of green plants on the Internet is surprisingly good for the winter ick, and in the spring, when it's time to do all the physical work, you won't have to do any mental work!
posted by ostro at 9:56 PM on September 1, 2012

TV gets a lot better - many shows will start new seasons in fall, i.e. Walking Dead in October.

Also gear up for Halloween with horror movie nights - they are simply more fun if you don't have to barricade your sunny windows.

Fall/winter is also the best time for roleplay - September comes with a new release of Baldur's Gate. If you don't want to sit on a screen, get pen and papers and invite some friends.

Food gets better in fall - things stop coming in a SPECIAL SUMMER EDITION and all tasting like pineapple and limette. I get tired of that during summer and look forward to winter ice cream flavors like cinnamon, plum and baked apple.
posted by MinusCelsius at 10:53 PM on September 1, 2012

I adore fall and winter!! I hate the summer! I love the crisp days with a tang in the air. I love apples! pumpkins! an excuse to drink hot cocoa. I love the winter sky and stark branches of trees against it. Look for the beauty and you will find it. Also, get one of those sun light therapy lamps. I have summer SAD.
posted by wandering_not_lost at 11:19 PM on September 1, 2012

Fall fashion is so much more versatile than summer - it's the best of both worlds. And you don't have to sweat (assuming you live somewhere with seasons). And pretty soon all this election crap will be done with and the media will stop being so catty for at least a little while.
posted by howgenerica at 12:22 AM on September 2, 2012

I enjoy running much more in autumn because I can go so much longer in cooler temperatures and don't get dehydrated nearly as quickly. Same with hiking and backcountry camping. Most local vacation spots are nicer and less crowded as all the families with kids aren't going anymore due to being back in school.

Also, Hallowe'en is one of the more fun holidays to prepare for. The main one where adults get to be kids : costumes, treats and jack o'lanterns (and you can bake and puree your jack o'lantern for yummy pumpkin dishes afterwards depending on where you displayed it).
posted by Kurichina at 5:56 AM on September 2, 2012

I love Cape Cod in the autumn - it's much less crowded, the weather is generally pleasant, and the green marshes are slowly fading to a brownish-tan.

Also: driving on a brisk autumn day with the windows open and the heat on.
posted by rmd1023 at 7:35 AM on September 2, 2012

Fall and winter are probably the best times to enjoy a sauna. I guess you could do them year-round, but who the hell wants to get into a 108-degree box when it's 102 outside? Ah, but when it's cold and damp outside, it's sublime. I used one for the first time at a hotel last winter and have been eyeballing a closet-conversion in our house ever since.

N'thing all the suggestions for bulbs. Paperwhites are dead-simple to force and bloom.

Fall and winter are the time of the year that I do all of my inside hobby stuff, once the demands of lawn and garden (and this year, bees) have largely subsided. One year I went through some Latin self-study books. Another year I worked through an electronics book. Thinking about finally getting my ham ticket this fall, though I'm not really sure what I'd do with it. One of those bucket-list items. Embrace the inside time, as mentioned above.
posted by jquinby at 7:38 AM on September 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Apple-picking. Perfect weather for baking - breads, muffins, pies. Hot drinks - chai, tea, chocolate. Big pots of stew. Red wine. Mulled cider.

Fall clothes! Tights, soft sweaters, boots. Long walks in the crisp air.

Hiking.

Save a little cash and watch for decent deals to Florida or Puerto Rico.
posted by bunderful at 8:45 AM on September 2, 2012

I feel the same way as you do about fall. It's kind of a bummer. But oh man, you know what is the best thing about fall? Pumpkin beer! Every brewery's offering ends up differing from year to year based on the pumpkin crops* so I have to try them all again. This year I'm holding my second annual 'Spiced Sixteen' pumpkin beer tasting-as-bracket-style-competition party, and my sister got me this super cool beer tracking notebook.

My area is stupid humid, too, so fall weather means it's more reasonable to turn the oven on and return to cooking & baking more often. Maybe this will be the year you master banana bread?

*I am just assuming that's true, because who can really remember what they tasted like last year anyway?
posted by troika at 11:49 PM on September 2, 2012