I Am Very Happy It Is Raining

It’s raining today. Finally.

I think Autumn had finally arrived and I’m actually really pleased about it.

Don’t get me wrong, summer has been wonderful. I was sitting in a friend’s garden last weekend in 25-degree heat, which was glorious — although slightly ridiculous for October.

But I’ve realised I’m ready for the season to change.

I’m ready for rain. Darker evenings. Fires. Blankets. Cups of tea. That feeling of coming back inside after being outdoors and getting warm again.

I still absolutely want to be outside. In fact, I love being outside at this time of year. I love the rain on my face and the wind whipping my hair around so I can pretend I look windswept and interesting, rather than just completely dishevelled.

I still absolutely want to be outside. In fact, I love being outside at this time of year. I love the rain on my face and the wind whipping my hair around so I can pretend I look windswept and interesting, rather than just completely dishevelled.

But I’m also craving that little bit of hibernation that comes with autumn.

And I think that’s probably why seasonality has become such a big part of The Shift without me really planning it that way.

Things are changing here already.

There are pumpkins in the Pilates tent. The teas are getting warmer and more comforting. The food is changing. The colours are changing. The evenings are getting darker, which means candles, blankets, fires and all the little things that make you want to settle in rather than rush off somewhere else.

For an event last night, I’d decided we were having a carrot, apple and orange juice with a shot of ginger.

Except I forgot to buy the carrots.

Which genuinely made me laugh because that is exactly the kind of thing my mum would have done. She was brilliant at starting something and then discovering halfway through that she didn’t actually have one of the key ingredients.

So the carrot-less carrot juice became a little accidental homage to her.

And actually, those are the details I love most. Not everything has to be perfect. It just has to feel thoughtful.

I don’t want The Shift to feel the same in July as it does in October, because we don’t feel the same.

In summer, maybe you want to sit outside until late, eat lighter food, drink something cold and stay out by the lake. At this time of year, I want something warm in my hands. I want the sound of rain outside. I want to put a jumper on. I want to light a candle at four o’clock in the afternoon without feeling remotely guilty about it. And I want to slow down a bit.

I think there’s something quite lovely about giving in to the season rather than fighting it. Not writing off autumn and winter as the miserable bit between summers. Actually noticing them.

The colours. The weather. The food. The smell of wet leaves. The first fire. The first proper coat day. The first evening when you think, “Right, I’m not going anywhere now.”

So yes, I’m very happy it’s raining today.

Although ask me again in February.