Autumn…you’re a beauty worth a thousand words. I never really get the opportunity to appreciate you the way that you should be because I’m never living in a place that actually has seasons other than really hot or extremely cold.

Until now…

Mount Vernon painted a picture unlike any other for me. The leaves were falling as I drove the fifteen miles to see you and the air was as crisp as when you bite into an apple cobbler, but as cool as the ice cream that accompanies it.

The 1,000 acres of George Washington’s estate was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. There was the beauty of the Forest Trail where you could dance among the wild things and float through a sea of leaves.

But if you turned around, the Potomac sat behind you and the wharf made you gasp for air. To live here would be a dream. There’s so much to see and take in that you forget that you’ve walked over 7 miles and that you’ve been wandering around for 4 hours.

Being at Mount Vernon made me think of one of my favorite words – geborgenheit. It’s a noun describing the perfect mixture of cozy, safe, warm, and comfortable. That, to me, is the beauty of autumn. Feeling this sense of geborgenheit makes you want to throw your hands up and thank God for all the wonderful things around you…it’s quite phenomenal.

But, I can only stay away from the city for so long and it’s back to three of my favorite words – apple cider donuts.

Hannah was a guest of the George Washington Mansion estates. As always, my opinions are my own.