2020 has been a tough year so far, and there are still a few months of it left to go! With any luck, the worse of the covid-19 pandemic is behind us, and we’ll be able to start moving forward and dealing with the aftermath. Events have taken their toll in a few different ways. You might have been furloughed, made redundant or had your hours slashed. You might have been so busy dealing with a backlog of work that you come home every night completely stressed out! The bad news is that, as House Stark are fond of saying: winter is coming. But along with winter comes an opportunity to warm the spirits, meet with friends, and to share some good food and drink. Let’s look at some of the ways through which we can ensure that the end of 2020 is a great deal more enjoyable than the beginning.
Halloween
If you haven’t yet started planning your costume, then you’d better get cracking, because the big occasion will soon arrive. This year, you’re sure to get plenty of costumes themed around the virus, which may make it easier to deal with the uncomfortable memory of the whole ordeal. Naturally, any parties you have are likely to be low-key, with social distancing measures in place. If your costume involves a gas-mask, then so much the better.
Hot drinks
It wasn’t so long ago that we were in the middle of a heat wave, and the thought of a warm drink was just about unthinkable. Soon, however, we’ll be quaffing down hot chocolate, caramel latte and pumpkin-spiced latte with whipped cream on the top. Winter drinks needn’t be warm, of course.
Autumnal Comfort
There’s a Danish word, hygge, that refers to a very specific kind of comfort. Here we’re talking about the feeling you get when you’re reading a book indoors with the heating cranked when it’s raining outside, or wrapping yourself in a thick blanket and watching Netflix. Throw in a crackling fire and a bowl of warming soup, and you’re most of the way there. It’s pronounced ‘hooga’, by the way.
Fresh Air
There’s a good reason that some of the more spectacular nature photographs tend to be taken during autumn. With the sun lower in the sky, you’ll get the light shining through the trees at an angle. Moreover, you’ll get dawn and dusk (the so-called golden hours) at more sociable hours. What better reason could there be to go for a stroll through the woods?
