Ever since I was a kid, I always thought of fall as the beginning of the year. Fall was when school started, a new beginning after a summer of long sunny days and freedom. When we were supposed to draw a circular calendar with the different holidays around the year, I draw mine upside down according to my teacher because I placed mid-summer at the top of the circle and Christmas at the bottom. But I still see the year like that. It is after the summer that I have new energy to make plans and that I’m inspired to learn and sign up for new courses. This is probably partially because I grew up in Sweden, where the dark winters can be quite exhausting and where especially our mental energy starts running on reserves in late December. But regardless of country, the habit is still in me.
Inspired by the rain and shifting colors of the trees in DC, last weekend was therefore been one of planning and scheduling. It might sound boring but in my experience, it is the best way of doing fun things around the year. Once work gets into its normal rythm (and especially now when I am also doing grad-school studies at the same time), I know that I will not make big plans or initiate projects. No, it is better to schedule now already to make sure I do it. Hence, the plans for this fall includes a couple of weekends visits to different places on the East Coast, one bigger trip somewhere in the Latin American/Caribbean region later this fall, a photography workshop (I’m hoping it will result in better photos here on the blog in the future), and of course dance classes and the Swedish Song Group. But first a month’s stay in Europe for both vacation and work. After a few hour connection stop in Copenhagen where I had coffee with Camilla, I arrived in Stockholm yesterday afternoon and will continue to Moldova tomorrow for my friend’s wedding. But more on that later. Also, there will probably be more work-related travel for me in December again. So a quite few things to look forward to this fall, despite the summer person that I am!
Stockholm, my first and last stop on this six-country trip
