Hello friends,
I don’t know about you, but I truly love September. The air in Ireland begins to smell differently almost as soon as we move from those last few warm days in August. We often get an Indian Summer in Ireland during the month of September but this year, it came early and last week we were, albeit briefly, back in our shorts, tee-shirts and flip-flops, enjoying a last week of sunshine and blue skies, just before the chill in the air gently returned.
Seasons in Ireland are very defined (although, admittedly, if you have ever visited Ireland, you would not be wrong in thinking we get four seasons in one day!) and Autumn is the most glorious season here. Although I have never visited the United States or Canada, Ireland in Autumn (or Fall if you are in the States), is often compared to Fall in New England. The leaves begin to change colour and oh! The colours are a sight to behold, particularly outside of Dublin in a place called County Wicklow, which is also known as the Garden of Ireland. It is truly magnificent in terms of its landscape, its variety of trees and beautiful plants and flowers.
September always makes me think of going back to school. As I watch the children walking down the pavements to school on the street where I live, their new schoolbags full of fresh, clean jotters, brand new books still with that overwhelming “new book” smell and a pencil case full of newly sharpened pencils, clean erasers and sharpeners yet to be used, I always stop to remember the new possibilities that September brings. While Autumn technically begins here in Ireland in August, it never really feels like Autumn until September. A new month, a new season, bringing with it new beginnings, fresh opportunities and new challenges for all of us.
For those of us working in busy jobs, it can often feel like the last final push to get a million things done before Christmas. Summer vacations over, it can sometimes feel like we need to get back into the swing of things a little, to start new projects and open new doors in different areas of our life. January often holds the same feeling for many of us – a new year, a fresh start, but for me, September has always been my most productive month. Perhaps it is that knowledge that Christmas is only a few months away, so there is almost a sense of urgency to get as much done in as short a time as possible before the December madness begins with Christmas shopping, visiting friends and relatives, work parties and get-togethers.
This September I have decided to do things a little differently. I have always been a planner by nature and like to know where I am going and what I am doing well in advance. But this month I have decided to make a more conscious effort to practice what I preach and go with the flow. My husband and I haven’t taken a vacation this year and we are hoping to take some time out either in September or October, so this will be first time ever I have taken vacation time in Autumn. We usually travel in Spring or early Summer but with everything that has happened over the past year, like many of you, we didn’t get to travel anywhere. Our last holiday was to Cornwall in the South West of England in February 2020, a truly beautiful and rugged part of Europe, so this Autumn we hope to remedy that in some way. As yet, we don’t know whether we will travel in Ireland or go to Europe but either way, a vacation will be most welcome!
The one thing I am going to do however that I do every September, is to write down my goals for the coming four months. Unlike many goal-setters (and goal-getters!) I don’t set time limits on my goals. At a later date I will write a more helpful post on how I set measurable and achievable goals for myself and the structure I use to do that, but for now I will simply jot them down while enjoying a cup of tea at the kitchen table and as I always do, I will handwrite them first because I find my brain flows much better through my pen in my hand than onto a keyboard.
So I will look forward to a beautiful September, full of new possibilities, a promise of bright beginnings and no doubt a few challenges along the way too. What are you all looking forward to this coming month (and season!) and will you set goals for yourself or just go with the flow? I would love to know your thoughts.
Wishing you all the happiest of months.
Until next time,
Tania x
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