The warm Summer temperatures have gone down and days are shorter. Fall has arrived, andas I am told by locals that it doesn’t last very long in Michigan, I intend to enjoy it as much as I can.

Luckily, that is not a difficult thing to do. There is a lot of nature around; there is a lot of green in and around residential areas and there are several big parks where you can easily walk and enjoy nature for hours. And as of a few weeks, all the foliage has started to change color, and it’s beautiful. (In general as well, the colors in Michigan seem brighter, more saturated than back in Amsterdam. It literally brightens up your day.) One of my favorite parks has become Kensington Metropark which is a huge park with a big lake in the center and also a lot of wildlife. Going on a stroll, you are sure to see dozens of squirrels, chipmunks and songbirds and maybe even some bigger animals like deer.


Just like Erika Anderson’s post on pumpkin spice in Portland, also in Michigan pumpkin spice flavored products are popping up everywhere making it very clear that Summer has ended. And it seems people don’t mind at all (whereas in Amsterdam, everyone would simply dread the end of Summer). The outside of stores and homes are decorated with Halloween decorations, pumpkins, scarecrows and corn stalks. I have never celebrated Halloween as is isn’t a custom in The Netherlands, but the decorations and seasonal foods brings out a warm, cozy atmosphere, so I can understand why Americans put in the effort. In a way it is similar to Japan because the change of the season is very obvious and seasonal products seem very popular.


A local custom I was happy to discover is going to buy donuts at the local apple cider mill. (Because the climate in Michigan is relatively cold, the conditions for growing apples are good and apples are one of the largest fruit crops in the state.) The mill I went to makes cider donuts in two variants, cinnamon sugar and vanilla, and sells them alongside other products made with fresh local apples. People come from different towns and line up to buy them. Personally I don’t like donuts very much, but I must admit that these are quite a nice treat. Also, I couldn’t resist buying apple pie and a gallon of cider. Also both, really good. Sitting in the sun, surrounded by trees and leaves, drinking apple cider and eating donuts is a very enjoyable local Autumn custom.