Autumn, getting inspired by nature and slowing down

If there is one thing that I will never get bored of, it is admiring nature and always being in awe of what it has to offer. The long days of summer that I last wrote about have long gone. Winter is almost here. The days are shorter and are mostly gloomy. But nature always has its ways of making its beauty known and nature definitely looks beautiful in Autumn.

Though my days have been mostly busy, I have spent the last few months observing and appreciating the subtle shifts as the seasons changed. It has been hectic with a long list of things to do, a pretty busy schedule where most days go by like they are just a day on repeat and amidst all this, what keeps me sane is enjoying the little moments of solitude that come along my way.

On the good days, the sky breaks into many lovely hues at dawn when I get to work. As I journey on the bus, the sun rises making the autumn foliage look prettier. And sometimes, the dance of the sunshine and the mist give it all a dreamy feel! While getting back home, the sky again breaks again into its many hues at sunset bringing about a sense of awe and gratitude.

But then there are days where things don’t go right – the days when it pours all day, when the signal doesn’t change quickly enough to cross the road and you miss the bus, or when the bus is delayed or on those days when there’s so much you want to talk about but there is no one to hear or when you stare into the distance as conversations that you don’t understand go on, others laugh and you don’t know why they laughed.

Between the good and the bad, the days are mostly busy and finding time for the things I enjoy doing always becomes to difficult. But I try. So one Sunday morning, I woke up without an alarm, feeling well rested and happy because I didn’t have a zillion things to do or somewhere to go to. I opened the window blinds to see the first rays of the sun and the mist play hide and seek with the hills. I opened the window for a few minutes for a little fresh air. It was cold but it felt good. It was only when I checked my phone that I realized that the temperature was 1 degree Celsius! The book I was reading the previous night sat at my bedside table and I decided to pick it up and read. And so I read without having to rush or worry.

I made pancakes for breakfast with a generous serving of the last of blueberries of the season. Since the sun was out, I decided to go for a walk because sunshine has been rare these days. With a cup of hot chocolate for warmth, I set off walking by the river, with the trees bursting with colour, with the birds out and about for it was a glorious day. And I walked for a really long time without realizing how long I’d been walking. My fitness band later told me that I had walked almost 10km. I spent the rest of the day with a smile on my face with a feeling of contentment for having spent the day well.

I’ve been try to go on impromptu walks in nature whenever the weather allows. It always makes me feel better. Most of the time I feel overwhelmed with all the things that I am supposed to do, all the things that I want to do and the zillion things that run in my head with no one to voice them out to. I sometimes feel that I’m perhaps not managing my time well, that I am not doing enough. And in such situations, it is walks like these that calm me down. The autumn colours definitely help!

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

― Lao Tzu

I’ve been meaning to be more regular here. Write about the books that I have read and the places that I’ve been to. But between all the sitting behind the desk that I do for work and my classes, it feels overwhelming at times to write again. But I hope to find some time. I have been more active on Instagram with more regular updates on my travel and my reading.

Most days it is difficult to find motivation to go out. The best part of days at home is drinking a cup of hot chocolate, having some delicious baked goods and reading a book! I drew a little some inspiration after reading up on Hygge and Fika during my travel to Denmark and Sweden.

I’m excited that Christmas is almost here. I bought a Christmas tree for myself here because it makes me happy. The Christmas markets have also opened. I’ve visited the one in my city and I hope to visit some more markets in the nearby cities soon.

What are you looking forward to before the year ends?