sure. wait. what?

October rolls in, and with it, the prettiest season of the year.

In October, the leaves drape the trees in layers of gold, orange, and red. The air chills and the breeze nudges us into sweater weather, the kind that doesn’t beg for heavy winter coats yet but welcomes soft scarves and cozy cardigans. It’s the best month to start enjoying warm drinks and walk under the trees, watching the leaves tumble down like confetti.

The first week of October brought me to Prince Rupert, a tiny coastal town west of BC. A work trip isn’t usually something I look forward to, but the charm of this town made the trip feel like a mini escape. The town was quaint, gloomy, and windswept, a place where the ocean and the clouds feel close wherever you go. The days were quiet and slow, like a sleepy cat stretching in a sunbeam. There was something calming about sitting in a seaside cafe just watching fishing boats bobbing in the water. Even though I was technically “on the clock,” the trip still felt like a chance to recharge.

For Thanksgiving weekend — yes, Thanksgiving happens in October around here — we went to a friend’s house for dinner. A friendsgiving, if you may. My friend, an excellent cook, made the tastiest ossobuco. We also had palabok, a Filipino noodle-based dish; Peking duck, a Chinese dish; and donuts and pecan pie for dessert. After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, we carved pumpkins for Halloween. I have no idea how kids carve pumpkins for fun — it’s dangerous, isn’t it? Using sharp tools to hack away at a gourd also takes strength and patience, something that I for sure did not have as a child. Anyway, I ended up carving a crazed face on my pumpkin. Seeing everyone’s creations lined up on the table, glowing in the dark, was definitely a moment for the books.

In October, I still managed to keep up with my workout classes. Barre and yoga were my top two workouts, and I think — I think — I found my go-to studios. Because the air was getting chillier and chillier each day, October begged for more indoor activities. One night, L and I went to see a candlelit string quartet performance at the big library downtown. Sitting there, listening to the hums and swells of the strings, felt like time had slowed down; like the music waited just for October, just for this part of the year where everything feels a bit softer, a bit more calm.

As October winds down, my heart brims with warmth and love and gratitude. Here’s to October—a season that calls us to slow down, to take things in, and to savor the colors and changes that only come this time of year.