Ah, September. Every year, I can’t help but be in awe of its beauty. The air is crisp, the sun shines down in golden rays and the leaves turn into charming reds and yellows. 

Well—okay. Most leaves turn into charming reds and yellows. Apparently, palm trees aren’t affected by the cooling weather, so like—one in eighteen trees in California change color. 

But more importantly, September is a gorgeous month. It would be a waste to let the season drift by without appreciating its full beauty, so I always make a point of going for a walk during the fall. Each time, without fail, September catches my breath. Everything looks like it has been bathed in golden light, from the clouds in the sky to the buildings around me. (On an unrelated note: September marks the beginning of peak fire season.)

Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that many individuals in the area do not share the same appreciation for September that I do. They say that September in California has none of the charm of September basically anywhere else. This fact greatly saddens me, and I grieve for the poor misguided souls who believe this but, okay, yeah, they’re probably right—September really sucks. I want to appreciate the joys of September. I really do. But there’s no point in buying pumpkin spice lattes to warm you up if you’re getting heat advisory messages on your phone. Californians can’t enjoy any part of the traditional fall.

Well—wait. On second thought, who says tradition is best? The new and revamped September isn’t all terrible. In fact, I like the new and revamped September. After some point, jeans and Uggs and sweater weather in general is going to get boring. But September in California keeps things fresh: One week has a 90 degree heat wave, the next has a hurricane and then after that the sky is raining ash! Then if that wasn’t enough, tiny earthquakes have been sprinkled across the month to add a little bit of excitement. (I vote that we elect “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire as this month’s theme song).