Even though I usually hate the month of November because it is cold and gloomy, this year it felt like the perfect break after months of travelling and a busy month of December ahead. I stayed in Brussels and had many quiet nights at home, as well as great catching up evenings with friends. While work was particularly busy, I managed to find a good balance between busy days and softer, quieter ones, and I am ready to tackle the month of December.
My favourite things about this month:
- Spending time with friends: over a nice brunch, a delicious dinner, some drinks or just a nice afternoon, November was the month of catching up with friends and spending some quality time together. We also had some birthdays (including mine) to celebrate and I got amazing gifts that I can’t wait to use!
- Cozy evenings: when I wasn’t seeing my friends, I was basically spending the evening at home, watching a series with my boyfriend or reading with a nice cup of tea. This is probably the main (or only?) thing that I like about winter, because I don’t feel as guilty if I’m not going outside or making the most of the summer weather, and it’s always a perfect blanket-and-hot-drink type of weather!
My latest trips and adventures
- As I said, November was a quiet month so I didn’t go on any trip. I did however find the time to write about my time in Canada, with a post about Montreal and another one about a beautiful region in Quebec. I also wrote an itinerary from my trip to Los Angeles, and recently circled back to my trip in Iceland earlier this year, that I can’t wait to share more of!
- Here in Brussels, I did go on two short local adventures, as I finally went to two bakeries/cafes that I’d been following on Instagram for months now. The first one is called Mooky: it is located in a cute shop that sells plants and pots, but there is a little counter there where Gaëlle sells her homemade cakes and pastries. The prices are really fair and the cakes are absolutely delicious. The other place is called Tea Jolie, and it is basically a British tea room that serves beautiful cakes and pastries, and where you can have cream tea with scones and “high tea”. I went there for an afternoon tea to try the “high tea” with my boyfriend and loved it!
Hobbies and distractions:
- Reading: at the beginning of the month, I read Spiral, which is apparently the sequel to The Ring – that was famously adapted into a movie. I have actually never watched The Ring nor read the book, but I was in the mood for something a bit creepy after Halloween. Sadly, I thought the book was a bit disappointing as it didn’t really feel like a “horror” book, but I was happy nonetheless to read something a bit different than usual.
- Blogging: I feel like lately I’ve been quite good with this blog and I’ve managed to keep a pretty regular routine even though I wasn’t always home. Despite a drop in motivation a few weeks ago, I’m now back with lots of post ideas – I only need some time to write them!
General thoughts:
I feel like this month was pretty much in contrast with the summer months, where I felt like I was constantly running around and trying to do everything at the same time. Lately, I’ve been trying to listen a bit more to myself and what I want to do, to find a good routine before starting to do a bunch of other things, and while it means that I’ve inevitably had to put some hobbies and activities to the side, it is also less overwhelming and frustrating. December will be again very busy though, so I hope and can keep this balance!
Looking forward to:
- Christmas markets in Vienna: I’m soon leaving for a long weekend in Vienna with my friends, and I can’t wait to go back to this amazing city and see all the Christmas markets!
- End-of-year holidays: At the end of the month, I’ll see my family to celebrate the holidays, and I’m very excited to have this time to chill and enjoy the free time.
- Festive spirit: I’m slowly starting to get in the festive spirit for this holiday season, and I can’t wait to do some baking and watch Christmas movies!
How was November for you? What are you looking forward to?
Also published in November of previous years
Wonders of Seville: Plaza de España and Parque de María Luisa
– Discovering Ghent
– Autumn in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada
Sunny Days with Juliette 
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