The month of October flew by and was so filled with things (and, surprisingly, sunshine) that I didn’t really have the chance to cosy up and get in an “autumnal” mood. It was a birthday month filled with adventures that left me quite tired but full of amazing memories.
My favourite things about this month:
- Catching up with friends: this month, on top of having good quality time with the friends that I regularly see, I also got to catch up with some that I hadn’t seen in a while. These are the things that are easy to procrastinate as it is usually quite difficult to set up a date and life always gets in the way, but it is always so nice to see friends that you haven’t spoken to in a while!
- Going on a weekend trip in the woods: during a trip to Montreal (which I will talk about later), my mum, my sister and I stayed for a couple of days in a beautiful cabin in the woods, surrounded by nature. We weren’t so lucky with the weather but we could still admire the gorgeous autumnal colours of the trees and have a walk surrounded by nature and silence. It was absolutely amazing!
- Running: yes, I know, this might sound a bit odd coming from me ahah but this month I took part in a race with some colleagues, where we had to run a certain amount of kilometres that added up to be the length of a marathon. I personally did 5 km – which is already quite the achievement for me – while others ran 7 or 10 km. During the weeks leading up to it I was definitely more motivated to work out and I kind of miss it now: time to get back to it!
My latest trips and adventures
- 10 days in Canada: luckily the health situation was good enough for me and my mum to fly to Canada and go visit my sister in Montreal. I had already been there a few years ago and loved it, so I was beyond excited to go back and rediscover this amazing city and eat all its delicious food and sweets. I loved walking around, discovering new places and admiring the city in autumn. I will definitely do a post about this trip as it was without a doubt the best thing I did this month!
- A weekend in Metz: This month, I also went to Metz, a cute city in France, to visit some friends that I hadn’t seen in a while. I had never been there and even though I wasn’t expecting much of it, I found that it was really a beautiful town, full of history and beautiful landmarks. Obviously, I was also really happy to catch up with my friends and enjoy some time together!
- Brussels Flower market: This wasn’t really a flower market, but more of a small market where local and sustainable brands could sell their stuff – and there were also flowers and plants of course. It was really small but in a really pretty location, and we basically made a day out of it, thanks to the amazing weather.
Hobbies and distractions:
- I feel like this month, the main thing I did, regarding my hobbies, is feeling bad because I didn’t have time to do any of them…! It is not as bad as it sounds obviously, because that means that time was filled with cool memories and discovering new places and seeing friends, but I have definitely not been very consistent with my hobbies. I am currently reading The Silmarillion by Tolkien, and even though I really like it, I have a hard time finishing it.
- Eating: yes, at this point I will consider it as a hobby – or a distraction, it can really be both ahah. Why am I putting this here? Well, because I went to a very nice Georgian restaurant in Brussels with my friends (not amazing, but still very good food), discovered a delicious pancake place and amazing restaurant with my boyfriend and obviously went to countless restaurants and cafes in Montreal.
General thoughts:
As I said in the beginning, October felt more like a “summery” month this year: the weather was nice and sunny, I went out a lot and did many things – which is usually what the summery Juliette does. With November already under way, however, I really feel the need to slow down a bit and be more of my introverted self, take time for myself and my hobbies, and cosy up. Basically, I have to catch up on all the things that I had to put aside to enjoy the sunny weather and slowly reset. I actually can’t wait!
Looking forward to:
- Warm and comforting drinks and food: cosying up under a blanket, in front of a fire (or the video of a fire that a sweet soul decided to upload to Youtube), with a nice book and a cup of tea, trying new recipes for hot chocolates, baking biscuits and filling my home with the smell of cinnamon, orange and spices… this is exactly what I want for this month!
- Small adventures: nothing is planned yet, but there are some things that I would like to do and places I want to go to this month – hopefully I manage to do them and report them back in here!
- Catching up with my blog: I have an endless list of blog post ideas that I want to write, which are already not in season… but that I really want to share! I really hope I get to write many posts and schedule them in for the weeks and months to come!
How was October for you? What are you looking forward to?
Published last year in October and related:
The Inspiring Bloggers tag
– My favourite things about Montreal
– Sugar rush at a sugar shack
– Autumn walk at the Park
Sunny Days with Juliette 
Like you, I had a busy October, as I got to travel for the first time since the start of the pandemic (although not internationally, just domestically…). Very cool you got to head overseas again, to Canada! I’ve never been to Metz despite living in France for several years, but it looks to be a charming place. Georgian food is one of my favorite cuisines, and I actually made a Georgian dish this weekend (nigvziani badrijani), just because I miss it (we don’t have Georgian restaurants in Los Angeles, weirdly enough!). Looking forward to colder weather and the holidays as the end of the year comes to a close!
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Thanks for reading! I tried Georgian food in Russia for the first time and loved it, but it doesn’t seem so popular here as it was in Russia, somehow (and apparently it is the same in LA)! I don’t think I have ever tried that dish! What is it? 😊
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It’s an eggplant roll with walnut paste stuffed inside. Unassuming, but full of flavor!
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Wow that sounds delicious!!
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Good to hear that you’ve traveled across the pond, more than a year after the pandemic first struck!
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Yes, I can’t believe it! Feeling very lucky though! 😊 Thanks for dropping by!
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Sure thing! I hope international travel opens up soon, now that most people already got the jabs for Covid.
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I love the monthly review idea 🤩🤩
The pictures you posted are simply gorgeous. Also it just happened that a friend and I were discussing potential destinations for next summer and Metz came up a couple of times.
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Thank you!! I tried it out last year and been loving it as it makes me focus on the good and positive things + I get to keep a trace of them! 😊 Metz is really nice and cute! Hope you get a chance to visit!
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I can’t wait to add Metz to the list
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thanks for sharing – some beautiful autumn photos Juliette! Looks like you’ve been up to plenty! We’re just opening up, and hopefully we’ll stay open this time. Hopefully a few adventures in the offing for me too! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
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Yes, I feel like I have been up to a lot lately and I just can’t keep up with my blog post ideas 😂 I also hope the borders stay open for you and can’t wait to read about your adventures! Thanks for dropping by!
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Nice to read that you were able to travel and with family too. Those autumn colours are so pretty. I was laughing about your hobbies because I too cycle between guilt of not making enough time for them and thinking that I need more hobbies other times. October here was still mostly lockdown but I got time to enjoy my hobbies!
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Ahahah happy to hear I’m not alone with this hobby-related dilemmas 😂 at least you are forced to make time for them in lockdown, I guess…! Thanks for dropping by 😊
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Definitely a perk of lockdown!
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Just look at all the wonderful photos, especially the fall colours. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to experience the colourful autumn this year in Ireland. Weather plays a huge role in the colour and the vibrancy of those colours. When days are warm & sunny and the nights are cool, but not freezing, the colours will be stronger and more vibrant, and we’ve been having a very warm and wet fall. I am glad to hear you were able to travel to Canada and France, Juliette! I hope you are going to write about Montreal, can’t wait to read about it. And yes, I consider eating as a hobby too – – and it’s a hard hobby to give up! Thanks for sharing, and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva
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Thanks a lot! We had some pretty sunny days in Montreal where the leaves simply looked like they were made of gold, it was beautiful! During our stay in the woods the weather was not so great but the colours were still gorgeous! I feel like everything is much more vibrant in Canada than it is in Belgium! Thanks for reading and I will for sure write about Montreal! 😊 In the meantime, you can check the posts I published a few years ago about my time there!
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Wow Canada trip!haha eating as a hobby,I think it’s become mine too,lol
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Hahaha I’m glad you also consider eating as a hobby! At least it is something that I can’t really give up on 😅
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What a wonderful October! I’m so glad you got to see your sister and spend time with your friends. And I can’t wait to read your blog posts about your trips – even if they’re out of season….I’ve still got some to post which date back to May so eventually I figure I’ll be a year behind and the season will be right again haha! 🙂
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Ahaha, yes, maybe being a year behind is the key 😂 I had a lot of Dubrovnik content planned but I might just skip it to go straight into full “autumn” mode! Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best for November!
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It sounds like you had such a wonderful month! I’d love to go stay in a cabin in the woods – what a dream. It’s great to hear how much you’re travelling and adventuring! x
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Thanks! The cabin in the woods was an amazing experience and very cosy!
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I look forward to reading your post on Quebec.
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Thanks! Hopefully I will get to publish it soon!
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What a month it was! Glad that it was so eventful and that you got to make the most of it. I hope November has been as good so far for you. 😀
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Thanks! It was a very eventful month, and november has been more quiet, but I’m quite happy about it 😊
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