My favorite time of year

... is just about now, when the temperatures start to dip into the '60s, the hills around Charlottesville transform under fall foliage and coffee shops start selling warm apple cider. With the hot, sticky summer a distant memory and a snowy winter still months away, it's time to pull on a sweater and explore the 'ville at its finest. Recently, my boyfriend and I took a "date day" and did just that, hiking and wine-tasting our way through some of the prettiest autumnal scenes around. It was a fantastic break from recruiting and case-reading -- the kind of day that puts everything in perspective. And as I sat outside Veritas, wine glass in hand and cheese plate in reach, I realized how lucky I was to be enjoying another fall in Charlottesville.