the best season in the berkshires

fall in the Berkshires

G: The best season in the Berkshires is fall - each year, I never fail to be in awe of the colors of autumn. Here's some of what we got up to this fall (perhaps one of our most successful bucket lists to date). Also, I feel obligated to share that we experienced an unfortunate move to a new apartment this fall, so I feel extra proud that we managed to have a lot of seasonal fun despite the life chaos.

S: Gillian and I had planned a particularly robust few months for ourselves this fall, and through no fault of our own, we ended up going through a difficult move. It was definitely a study in resilience, patience, and the power of the quiet moments enjoyed together. And through all that, we managed to pack in a lot of cool things! I feel so lucky that I had Gillian by my side and cherish the sweet memories we made together, in spite of all the craziness.

Favorite bucket list item:

G: We went on a fall hike on the Appalachian trail on a particularly beautiful fall day. The best part about this date is that it inspired us to recreate some of our first dates, which feels really special. Shannon and I first hiked this section of the Appalachian trail when we first started dating, during a light April snow. It was magical to go back and hike it again.

Shannon in April 2022

Shannon in November 2023

S: (Hm, I am going to cheat and chime in with Gillian so I can give my own comparison photos below). In Fall 2021, my first year in Massachusetts, I hiked this portion of the Appalachian Trail every Saturday. When Gillian and I started dating in Spring 2022, the first official "date" I took them on was a snowy hike in one of my favorite MA nooks. I promptly made the photo I took of them (below) my phone home screen, so it feels especially sentimental.

Gillian in 2022

Gillian in 2023

One we didn't get to that you want to do in the future:

G: I really want to go to the wine bar at the Lenox Bookstore! This one has made it onto a few of our bucket lists, and we haven't managed to make it happen yet. It's a local secret, but I always find myself at the bookstore in the morning/early afternoon, which is just not wine o'clock for me. Adding an evening trip to the bookstore for a wine night to our winter bucket list now.

S: Something that was affected by our unanticipated move was our plan to see Misterwives in concert this Fall. We'd bought tickets ages ago and somehow the show ended up being the Sunday that we emergency moved. Needless to say, we did not make the grueling 2.5 hour drive to Boston for the show and instead opted to keep our sanity and continue some moving tasks. Sometimes, missing things like this makes me feel ashamed, like somehow I didn't plan well enough or push hard enough in the face of an extenuating circumstance. It is important for me to take a step back and take stock of what I can feasibly accomplish. Considering we completed so many other parts of our bucket list, I understand now that I can totally let this one go. 

Something we did that didn't make it onto the bucket list:

G: My parents visited us in the Berkshires, and then we visited them for Thanksgiving! It was special to get to show them a slice of our world, and then share the holiday with them (they recently moved to a new home in a brand new state). I loved getting to introduce Shannon to my parents and my brother. She's the most important person in my life, so I want her to know my family (in all our silly weirdness).

S: Gillian and I performed in some shows! We didn't list them on the bucket list, but we performed in some other choreographers' work at two different performances, and we also showed a condensed version of our most recent evening-length work, why are you all still here, at a space that was new to us in the Pioneer Valley. I feel like we have been dancing up a storm - and we have more shows and rehearsals coming up! I never take for granted that fact that I get to make art - and especially that I get to make art with the person I love most in this world. 

Most likely to fail, but didn't:

G: Um....we ran the Ghostly Gallop 5k with next to no training. This wasn't intentional (we had been running all summer, proof here), but with the unexpected move, we completely stopped running. After a 2 mile jog the week before, we headed to Hudson, New York, to run the race. I was so nervous - I truly wasn't sure if I could make it through. But, we did it, and it was so much fun! 

Pre-5K

Post-5K

S: Trick-or-treating. Pretty much everyone we know in the Berkshires wants kids to come up to their house/apartment for candy, and pretty much everyone we know NEVER gets anyone. When Gillian and I found out from a neighbor at our new place that our street gets a ton of trick-or-treaters, we rushed out to get a couple packs of candy and a Halloween-themed plastic bowl. When the night came, we waited inside for 15 minutes while no one came up to our door (we have a looong driveway that served as a deterrent for the efficient families). Not wanting all the candy to go to waste, we tugged some extra chairs down to the end of our driveway and thankfully, were able to hand out all our candy in the first hour!

Most surprising:

G: We went to New York City to visit our friend Hannah and Shannon's sister Melanie, which wasn't a surprise, because well, it was pre-planned. What was surprising was how relaxing the trip was - I think Shannon and I have really mastered how to visit the City and also honor our need for a vacation. We spent the whole trip eating really good food, wandering in bookstores, and spending time with some dear people in our lives. I never thought I could leave the City feeling rejuvenated, but I did! Also, I always miss the Berkshires when I am in New York, which is a welcome reminder that I'm right where I am supposed to be.

Gillian (left) and Shannon (right) outside the Joyce Theater in NYC

S: For me, it was a class we attended in Boston, led by our lovely and brilliant friend, CJ. Gillian and I trekked from the Berkshires to Boston right after work one afternoon, trying to catch the only class of theirs we could make this year. Somehow, some way, we made it, and it was so magical and calming and healing. Thank you CJ for a lovely class!

S: This fall was... kind of hard. But also filled with so many beautiful things. The seasons of life never stop shifting, and time never quits, not even when you beg it to. I will forever remember how amazing a partner Gillian was to me during this wild slice of our lives. Falling in love over and over again doesn't just come with the good things life throws your way; sometimes, it is realizing that this amazing, bubbly, beautiful person beside you really isn't going to leave when things get tough. I know I won't! (Though, confident that we have reached out disaster quota for the year, I plead the powers that be for smooth sailing in 2024!)

xo

the roommates