Taking Stock #12
the witching month is done: an October 2025 retrospect
“Taking Stock” is a series that encourages us to slow down and take stock of where and how we are right now.
It’s halfway through November and I have this strong urge to post an update-of-sorts - thus, a Taking Stock entry. It’s been ages since I posted one (almost a year now) but it seems fitting. I didn’t mean to be radio silent these past month or so. Sometimes life just gets in the way and I, like many others, have no choice but to slow down and actually live it in order to absorb it a little better.
Publishing Glimmer highlight posts took a back seat last month, but my notebook has been filled with a lot of things from forest walks to cook outs. October, a.k.a, my newfound favorite month, along with the start of Autumn, a.k.a. my favorite season, brought magic to my life that I have always looked forward to every year.
I know I keep going on and on about being busy — and life has been truly hectic nowadays — but a realization that I had lately is that, most of the time, my stress is directly proportional to how much I internalize it. Very much in the spirit of one of my favorite Murakami quote, directly inspired by Buddhist philosophy: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” I hope I hold on to that thought.
I am planning to post a separate Glimmer post for October because there’s just quite a lot of things to be grateful for and a lot of things that made smile. But for this retrospect post, here are a couple of things since the last time I wrote that became a highlight of this month or so:
A quick London city break
This happened on the lead up to the Autumn Equinox, a quick London city break. It was mostly to attend the Big London Tattoo Show (and get my second tattoo, yay!) but best believe I tried to squeeze in as much as I could in those 3 or so days. I initially found London to be overwhelming but through the years have thoroughly enjoyed what the city has to offer. There’s just something about it that makes me want to go back over and over again (despite how expensive the city is). We went to go so Hadestown live (after listening to the cast recording for years, it has always been a dream of mine to see it live!) and it was everything I thought it would be and more. Of course, I get to visit a couple of bookstores, and I finally got my much coveted green-and-gold Daunt Books tote. I also discovered a couple of really nice places to dine in, and went ahead and replenished my sticker stash. I can’t wait to be back again some time soon.
Welcoming the Autumn Equinox - and a lot of walking to appreciate the foliage
Ah, autumn — a time when my my whole world comes alive. 🍂 As a perpetual autumn-lover, it has always been a pleasure whenever I feel the wind get more crisp by the day, the leaves start turning into all of my favorite colors, and foliage starts to gather on the ground. There nothing like a crisp, chilly, sunny autumn day, specifically — while I sip coffee, the cup warming my hands against the cold. And even in the wet days, I still find ways to make the day sparkle in my eyes. I tried to walk outside as much as I can, try to hear the crinkle of the leaves as I step through them on dry days, notice how slowly (and then quickly) the colors change. Boots, scarves, cozy knits. It has always been a treat - and these couple of weeks are no different. I wish this season never ends, but alas, all I can do is enjoy and make the most of it.
A random East Ireland day trip
This felt like a good-old fieldtrip, like the one we used to get during school. My flat mate and I went on an East Ireland day trip and it was a dream. Glendalough, specifically, is a place that I’ve always wanted to visit and we did it on a good day: one of the very few days when it’s actually dry and sunny, the sunshine lighting up Wicklow Mountain’s whole autumn glory. Walking in this forest was amazing, and it made me realize how much nature replenishes my energy. We went all the way to the Upper Lake, and the view that greeted us was just breathtaking. I wished we had more time. I definitely wanted to go back! We also get to witness a sheep dog exhibition, went to view the Wicklow Gap, and then went ahead to visit Kilkenny, which luckily coincided with the Kilkenny Food Festival that only happens once a year. The travel back home was long but lovely. And it was also punctuated by a double rainbow 🌈 on the road — the first time I’ve seen one in my life. 😌
Things I’m loving lately
READING Heart the Lover by Lily King1. Lily King has been one of those writers who hold my heart in her writing. Her Writers & Lovers is one of my most quoted books, personally. Glad to see that I still gravitate towards her words the same way as before. Aside from this, I am still going through Wyrd Sisters (which I’m reading with C) and also a couple of autumn-themed audiobooks listened to during my chores and my walks. A recent one that I really liked is Emily Grimoire’s Impractical Magic and In the Company of Witches (best witchy book I’ve read in a while!).
WRITING and coming back to my travel journal lately. I am absolutely in love with the process of immortalizing these small travels into something that I can hold. I am feeling a certain way lately about posting things in social media about my life— but that itch to share and write things down is still there. This is my outlet lately, and the best thing is that it’s just for me. I like that.
WATCHING The Celebrity Traitors! (TV series of the season2!) Talk about an explosively trending topic in the UK right now. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did (I even reopened my good ol’ Twitter account because looking at everyone’s reactions truly made the experience so much better). It ended in the most perfect of ways but I was kinda sad when it was done because I don’t know what to replace it with. Also, I finally watched Practical Magic as part of my Fall Bucket List — and I can’t believe I only watched this now. I loved everything about it: the vibe, the story, the sisterhood, the fashion (!!!), and even the soundtrack. Just love. This is the movie that defined my fall so far (this also kickstarted my witchy book mood these past few days) — let’s see if something can top it. Right now, I am basking in the comfort of All Creatures Great and Small whose Season 2 recently became available in Netflix. It’s just so cozy!
LISTENING to The Dress (Djo cover) by Olivia Dean on repeat for days now. There’s just something about this version that makes me feel things, and weirdly reminds me of those teenage years spent in the balcony, listening to easy listening music from the radio, looking up at the night sky. It’s quickly evolving into (maybe) my favorite song of the season.
TRAVELLING / GOING to wherever the autumn is at its peak — be it forest/mountains, parks, or even just a slice of the city where the foliage is thick, I’ll take it3. 🍂 It all just makes me happy. (See also above highlights)
EATING / COOKING a lot of cookies. One thing I discovered about myself lately is that cooking — particularly baking — relaxes me. So I do it whenever I am stressed at work or some other what-nots. Cookies became my version of Midnight Chicken (if you’ve read it, you’ll know). Recently, I’ve been making this quick 10-minute chocolate chip cookies so much (with a couple of modifications) and it comes out lovely and comforting each time. I also tried making the NYT Cooking’s extremely addictive Gochujang Caramel Cookies (which is part of my Fall Bucket List as btw). The next time, I will target to make them into smaller, more snacking size (like look at the size of it below, they’re bigger than my palm!), I think that’ll make it perfect for me. 10/10 highly recommended recipe.
FEELING wistful, but trying to be okay with it. The colder months always have a way of bringing my spirits down, somehow peaking at December (for a lot of reasons) - the supposed happiest time of the year. I would like to think that November is that time when I try to create as much cushion for myself as I can so I don’t succumb to my usual December blues. Let’s see how it goes.
So, that’s me. How about YOU? How have you been lately? 😊
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By the time this is published, I already finished this. It hurt so good but I still want more of it. This is the first time in a long while that my chest hurt that much while I was reading it. I rated it a solid 5 out of 5. I think I’ll be crying about it for a while.
Can we also talk about Claudia Winkleman’s outfits in the show? Obsessed. Also getting lowkey obsessed with her as a person.
As long as I can commute or walk to it.
It sounds like you're having such a wonderful autumn so far Riza! So many great city breaks and experiences 😌