Fall Girl

While people north of the Mason-Dixon Line are gearing up for cooler weather and the turning of leaves, those of us below are still sweating our collective asses off. No matter the hot temperatures outside, the calendar pages keep turning, indicating that fall is just around the corner.

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Fall is my favorite time of the year. In Houston, fall finally arrives around mid-October. The sultry summer days are gone and the humidity has dropped. The morning air is crisp and the temperatures are bearable. Pumpkins, apples, and various gourds fill the produce section at the grocery store, and floral-type candles are replaced with cinnamon and hazelnut. The vibrant greens and pinks have faded. While walking my dogs, I feel the familiar smash of fallen acorns under my feet. My air conditioner and lawn mower get a much-needed break. And of course, fall means football season.

Normally my fall weekends revolve around the television. My husband and I make itineraries for the football games we want to watch. Our Saturdays begin at 9:00 am and don’t end until midnight. Provisions are bought and menus are planed well in advance as to not take away from our beloved day. It’s a ritual we both love dearly, but this fall is going to be a little different for me.

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Instead of looking at football schedules, I’m going to be looking at flight schedules. And rather than planning a TV itinerary, I’ll be organizing a train itinerary. I won’t be grilling steaks, chicken wings, and bacon-wrapped jalapeños; I’ll be gorging myself on knedlíky, gelato, paella, pommes frites, and shepherd’s pie. There will be no yelling at the TV, only yelling at cab drivers for taking longer routes.

During the heart of the football season, I’ll be exploring Europe with my travel-partner-in-crime, Lola. I’ll miss the heartbreak and elation that has become standard for me during the fall. And quite frankly, that’s just fine. As much as I love football, I love travel more. I’ll get to experience five countries, three of which I’ve never visited. I’d say schlepping my luggage through airports and train stations beats the hell out of cussing at the television. And with Lola along, there’s bound to be plenty of excitement.

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Thinking back to the spring, you might remember my announcement of the four Go with Oh cities I’ll visit while in Europe:  Prague, Florence, Barcelona, and Paris. But guess what? I’m actually visiting seven cities {and a few points in between}. You didn’t think I’d simply stop at four, did you?

With additional cities comes additional planning, so a couple of weeks ago I ventured off to Boston to visit Lola. We had a lot of work to do and spent many hours on our European strategy. We made tentative travel plans and lined out the activities we want to experience in each city.

What are the additional cities, you ask? Well, I’m not going to tell you…yet.  You’ll have to wait for our video series. That’s right, VIDEO series. We even got the famed videographers, Captain and Clark, to help us out with a few. Yep, you’re going to see us live and in color. You’re also going to hear my thick Southern drawl and Lola’s sassy quips.

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Ok, so you’re going to have to wait to find out the additional locations, but I’ll give you a couple of hints: We’ll be extending our time in Italy and we’ll also visit an island. What I won’t make you wait for is a little video action.

With Labor Day, the unofficial start of fall in the United States just around the corner, enjoy this last tiny taste of summer.

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