monday again?! already?! and we’ve only got one week left in october, friends. the month has seriously flown by, and it feels like i have mostly been focused on things at home lately – which feels good. i’ve been cooking, nesting, writing, and, of course, enjoying nature as she has transitioned into an incredible autumn up here in the nordic country.
in fact, i just heard this morning that sweden has had a record number of hours of sunshine in october. so, it truly has been beautiful. and, i feel that i am now ready for the major dark and gray days of november to descend upon us. i’ve filled up my body + mind with sunshine and color. so, bring it on, november.
but, back to the present moment. today i am feeling quite calm and focused. you know, last week wasn’t anything super special, which, in and of itself, is actually totally special. i laid low, stayed close to home, and enjoyed it greatly. i embraced regular, everyday life. but, seriously, how boring is regular life when this is what it looks like when you ride to the grocery store on your bike? hehe.
tuesday, i went to stockholm for my yoga mediation training day. it was sooooo good and i feel like i moved on to a new level. plus, i feel like i’ve finally got my meditation mojo back. woo hoo.
of course, while i was in the big city, doing big city things, i ducked into a cozy cafe on my rush to the subway to grab a croissant and a coffee to go. the perfect companions for my train ride home. i’ve got a thing for croissants. and who wouldn’t, coming from a place like this? i wish you could smell how it smelled in there.
the next two days i stayed at home. cooking soup. catching up on the local and global news. snuggling with the cat. and working on my book. yep. i got quite a bit accomplished + and i’m feeling totally motivated. let’s see how much more i can get done this week!
on friday, the sun was shining (it really was sooooo sunny and beautiful), so i decided to go on a little autumn walk around uppsala. you can see all of my photos >>> here. 
and finally, my love and i had another quiet + cozy weekend at home, complete with candles and netflix. we’ve gotten hooked on a new series: homeland. a little after everyone else, but better late than never, right? and we totally love it. i’m talking, hooked.
the time changed in europe this weekend, so the sun now sets at 4pm and it’s totally dark by 4:30. but, that’s just the beginning. it’ll be setting at 2:30 by the end of november. crazy stuff.
but, as i said before, i’m ready. it’s cozy. and we are prepared.
speaking of cozy… we did leave the house on sunday for a little stroll downtown, including a tiny bit of shopping. hehe. we bought some super duper cozy blankets that will be our companions for the next 4 months. so, darkness. candles. blankets. netflix. and each other. we’re set, people.
you know, it was one of those weeks that my not stand out in my mind when i look back on 2015. but, then again it might. even though it may not sound glamorous or exciting to anyone else, this week, with all of it’s regular life moments has been a reminder to me that i am living a beautiful, blessed life. and collecting these regular moments that have passed, adding them to my memories… they are the days, the stories, the adventures that make up my life.
to me, this is what it means to live. simply. slowly. intentionally.
alrighty, peeps, here’s to a great new week ahead. wishing you all the best!
I also was hooked on homeland but lost interest halfway through the last season, I’ll get back to it soon though 🙂 have you seen house of cards? That ones good, too.
I’m starting to nest here too and have been making soups as well.. Share your recipes sometime! Great photos as always and I have to compliment your boots.. They are really cute 🙂
Oh dear, Ginger, we absolutely swallowed up House of Cards. Loved it so much – and are anxiously awaiting the next season!I will definitely share some soup recipes soon. Thanks for reading, and I’m glad you like my boots. they are so simple and comfy! 🙂
I could totally deal with 2:30 dark time. That would be so interesting! I only watched Homeland a couple of times. It’s a very good show, but it’s hard to get me hooked on tv. I’m not much of a fan, but when I am, I REALLY am!
It is cozy for a while, and then I get tired of it. The beauty of Sweden, though, is all of the lights that put up all over the city and in windows and trees throughout November -January. That makes it so beautiful. We don’t do tv much – just series and movies on Netflix. 🙂
Those quiet, productive days are the best. I’m so happy for you! What sort of book are you writing?
Your anticipation of the dark months is contagious. You make it sound so cozy and inviting!
I’m glad that I cast a good spin on the dark autumn feelings. Ask me again how I feel in late November, when we are down to 4 hours of light. Ha! 🙂 I am writing a memoir – about a 7 year chunk of time in my life, when I turned my whole world upside-down, and found peace in all of the mess.
We’ve started watching Homeland but never really got into it properly. I felt it was a bit slow moving. Might have to give it another go. Next week is my first week with “nothing” on and I’m definitely looking forward to it.
We’re totally hooked. Totally. Like, it’s 2 or 3 episodes every evening. Ha!
I LOVE a good simple regular week you know. Sometimes I feel like Gem and I do so much fun stuff and I’m so grateful, that I really really LOVE being at home for the weekend for some extended home time.
I love that you love the simpleness of your biking commute and grabbing a coffee sometimes people take for granted such beauty.
Also – good work on you book!! I will soon be writing a novel as this is finally the year I am DOING NaNoWriMO!!! Bring on November 😉
Yay for writing!! November is going to be a get-down-to-business month for me and my writing. I have GOT to get on with it. So, we can be writing buddies. 🙂