Crunchy Leaves Lead to Fresno

I love Boston in the fall.  My favorite season is expressed most beautifully in the city where I grew up – that gorgeous foliage, crisp air, and wonderful Thanksgiving time of year.  I still remember the sound of the crunch as I stepped on leaves while walking home from school, and how they felt under my boots.  You couldn’t resist going out of your way to step on that single, perfectly crunch-ready leaf on the sidewalk.

Despite all that, I always knew I would eventually leave Boston.  Even in high school I was keenly aware that there was a world out there waiting to be explored.  I remember friends at our high school graduation crying their eyes out – I thought they were crazy!  Why stay in high school when there is so much life to live and experience and discover?

My sights were set on New York City or Paris.  Bright lights, big city – entertainment, fashion, music.  I couldn’t wait.

Fresno?  Not so much.

And yet, after visiting many cities in the United States and Canada, as well as Armenia, Karabagh, Amsterdam and Spain, my path led me to Fresno.

Surprisingly, even to me, I love it here.  I would not want to live anywhere else right now.  (Although I wouldn’t say no to a vacation condo in NYC or a summer home in Paris.)

Autumns in Fresno aren’t so bad, either.  There are even leaves to crunch on.

Life takes you to unexpected places sometimes.  When the fear and trepidation are faced and put aside, the real joy begins.  And I’m so thankful for it.

OK, I’m getting off my shoebox now.