The air is not crisp, it's not the perfect weather to wear leggings and your oversized cashmere sweater. It’s 90 degrees and the sun is blazing hot, scorching your skin, just the perfect day for apple picking. Welcome to your not so average autumn. I invited two of my closest friends to accompany me on my journey for apple picking. We got into my dad's black Ford, the air so thick and hot it hurts your lungs to breathe. The car ride seemed to take forty years but when you're with people that you love and make you happy we got there in no time. We eventually pulled into the gravel parking lot filled with people and colorful cars.  We all glance at eachother and give an are you ready? look. I open my door to then be smacked in the face with my favorite smell, cider mill donuts and apple cider. I sprint to the long line to wait for a bag to pile my delicious, crunchy, red apples into. My dad buys us two packs and lets us run off to do all the work, fun work at that. All five of us, my dad, my younger sister Téa, my two friends Bridget and Izzy, and I all hop onto the wagon that was pulled by a slow and powerful green tractor. We are pulled through what seems to be an endless amount of tall swaying apple trees. He finally stopped at our first stop, empire apples. As adolescents we honestly do not know the difference between the kinds of apples so we stocked up on empires. We only stayed with the empires for a little time, only to hear the driver shout out,

“Next stop, honeycrisp!”

That's when we all look at each other and sprint towards the trailer because honey crisp are our absolute favorite. I make my way through the crowded trailer.     
           

“Excuse me, excuse me, thanks.”

I sat across from friends and touching knee to knee with the stranger next to me. I could not but help notice the wind blowing on my friends and the lighting so perfect so I get out my camera and take some shots.

“Izzy stay right there…..now look at me….. Small smile…… click!”

The next thing I know we have arrived to pick the honey crisps. We walked down the aisles searching for that one perfect red apple just at the right height to reach, like an eight year old walking down the toy aisle at Target trying to figure out which toy is perfect for him. I finally found the perfect one but it was so high I couldn't reach it. It was huge like a grapefruit, perfectly round and vibrant red. There were some good ones surrounding it as well. I had my 9 year old sister get on my shoulders to grab the apples,    

    
“A little closer… almost... a little further… got it!” she squeaked.

She cupped the apple in her small hand and twisted the apple then pulled it off the branch. She handed me the apples one by one as they toppled into the bag. I took one from out of the bag and bit into the crunchy outer skin and and the sweet juices flooded my mouth. This reminded me of a time when I was younger, the first time I went apple picking. I was on a field trip with my first grade class and we picked apples and looked at big, bright, plump pumpkins. I can still vividly remember twisting my first red apple off the strong brown branch.  We grabbed as many apples as possible and shoved them into a plastic bag. On our way walking back to get to donuts and cider we spotted a huge patch of beautiful, bright, yellow sunflowers. Of course we jumped right in them and took a mini photoshoot. I noticed how happy I was and what a great day it had been. I realized how it's so important to love the and cherish the amazing people in your life before it's too late, because anything can happen all of a sudden with no reminder or no heads up. Even though the weather was not how I wished it was, it didn't matter because I got to spend the day with amazing people. As soon as they left I felt like a piece of my heart was missing and I wanted to replace it right away. I guess that's how it feels to love someone.