Life Lately: October 2022
Apple Picking at Pine Hill Orchards | Colraine, MA
I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers - Anne of Green Gables
October brings me so much joy. I look forward to this month every year. The days and nights are filled with glorious foliage, fun and festive activities, and alllll the spooky things. To me, there is nothing better. This month started on a high, with an intimate dinner celebrating my best friend in Western Massachusetts. We had so much fun and made friends with seemingly everyone in the restaurant. It was a reminder of the importance of talking to strangers - you might find out your table neighbors are also celebrating an upcoming wedding! The next day, I went to my dear friend Ari’s Fall Into You retreat, which included yoga, meditation, community and the yummiest, nourishing food. The retreat was a reminder of the importance and impact of carving out a little space for myself.
The following weekend was our annual Fall Fest Weekend at my mom’s. We went apple picking, painted pumpkins, hiked through gorgeous woods, and enjoyed cozy family time. Later in the month, we went to a Scarecrow Fest, did our very first Trunk or Treat, and I watched all of my favorite horror films. And somewhere in all of that was a work trip to New York, a stint with RSV for the little guy, and lots of cooking.
Beyond the celebrations, I have been really focused on self-development this month. I have been feeling off-kilter for quite some time, and trying to figure out what’s going on. To that end, I have leaned into reading, meditation, angel cards, writing, spiritual guidance, and I have recently started The Artist’s Way. I am slowly beginning to feel more grounded and guided, so look forward to continuing these practices and getting more in balance.
Watching/Reading/Listening: For me, October is the moment to watch all of my favorite spooky movies - the Halloween and Scream franchises, Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, The Shining, and so many more. This year I added The Fog to the lineup (thanks to my BFF Amanda’s recommendation) and Halloween Ends. For TV, it was all about The Watcher, Dahmer, and The Patient (sticking with the scary theme).
The best book of the month deserves it’s own post, but for now, I’ll give it a paragraph. Broken Open, by Elizabeth Lesser (co-founder of the Omega Institute) changed my life. My therapist mom handed it to me from her extensive self-development and spiritual book collection (she keeps several copies of this book to lend to people who need it). And oh my goodness, I needed it. Elizabeth talks about truth-telling and vulnerability, about hitting rock bottom and leveraging the experience to build something beautiful, and shared so much wisdom about life, work, motherhood, death, and love. It is a beautiful collection of stories, and one I’ll read again many times.
After that, I read What Happened To You, which was truly excellent. My favorite podcast episode of the month was from We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, and featured the Nap Bishop, Tricia Hersey. Tricia’s work is about so much more than taking naps (I’m glad, I’ve never been able to take them!). And I cannot wait to dig into her new book, Rest is Resistance.
Things I’m Loving: This month, I must give a shoutout to my favorite yoga mat, the Manduka Pro. I have used so many over the past nearly two decades of practicing yoga, and this is my favorite. It’s super thick, has minimal slippage, and holds up - I’ve used this one for two years of practice and it still feels like new. My other favorite wellness mat is my wthn Acupressure mat set. This thing is everything. You must have a bit of a pain tolerance to enjoy it - it is uncomfortable at first. But once you lay down for ten minutes, it’s like you’re a new person. There are plenty of less expensive options out there too that are great, so I highly recommend getting one.
101 in 1001: Progress, not perfection - am I right?! I’ve been continuing to make progress towards many of the items on this list, which feels really good. This month marked the halfway point, and I’ve completed 18 of the 101 - which means I’ve got to pick up the pace!
