The 52 Lists Project: Week 2: All Things Autumn!

It’s week 2 on our 52 lists journey and this week is all about Autumn and why we love it! I’m 100% an Autumn girl so listing my favourite things about this season wasn’t too hard for me. 

That said, this Autumn is going to be a weird one; it’s my first one back in the UK since 2017! I’ve gotten quite used to Momiji Manju (a DELICIOUS Japanese sweet), temples adorned in red leaves and onsen tucked away within misty mountains. I’d love to know your favourite things about Autumn, especially if you’re from the UK- let me know in the comments and let’s share some Autumn-inspo!

41/52: ‘LIST ALL OF YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT FALL’

1. Red Leaves

Wherever I am in the world, I love watching the leaves change colour. Seeing oranges, browns and reds outside acts as a constant reminder that my favourite season is here!

2. Ankle Boots

I’ve fawned over ankle boots for years. I watched girls in uni teeter into lectures with absolute admiration and every time promised myself I would get some. This year I finally did! I actually bought two pairs!

3. Homemade Soups

4. Open Fires

5. Halloween

My favourite holiday has to be Halloween. It’s the definition of ‘spooky’ which to me means PG-scary with sweets and chocolate. With the year we’ve all had I think we deserve the emotional relief that comes with watching Hocus Pocus in a witch’s hat eating fudge.

6. Morning Walks

Getting up and out may get more and more difficult as the temperature drops but, for me, Autumn has the best of both worlds. It isn’t too cold to glue you to bed but it’s fresh enough to pump some blood in your cheeks and polish the grass with misty dew. 

7. Snuggles with the Cats

8. Conkers

9. Bonfire Night

10. Mum’s Scouse

While scouse, or stew, is probably one of my favourite meals to have year-round, it comes into its element in Autumn. This year I have the added bonus of being in the same country as my mum, who just happens to make a cracking one. 

11. Pumpkin Picking

12. Reading

13. Fuzzy Bed Socks

14. Apple Pies

With loads of cinnamon!

15. Ste’s Birthday

Since I was in Year 8 in high school, Ste’s birthday has always been a big deal for me. The first present I ever bought him was a Quentin Tarantino box-set, which my dad was not happy about! This year we celebrated his birthday in the Lake District! We walked up to Wray Castle, watched the sunrise across Morecambe Bay and fed an absolute horde of birds in the Ornamental Gardens.

16. Cooler Weather

17. Practising Baking

This is here more out of necessity than because it’s my favourite thing about Autumn. I’m a terrible baker, an amazing cook, but a terrible baker and so any opportunity I can take to boost my skills, I’m going to take it. I feel inspired to bake more in Autumn because I love smelling Autumnal flavours of ginger, cinnamon and orange as bake into pastries and cakes and seeping throughout the house.

18. MASSIVE Scarves

19. Scary Films

20. Farmers’ Markets

Weird and wonderful shapes and sizes of (squash? squashi?) squashes tumbling out of a wooden crate is just one amazing sights you’ll see at a local farmers’ market! The rustic, woody setting, filled with local produce and artisan goods really compliments the season. Plus, you can get two for one and complete #44 of this list while you’re here! 

21. Hiking

22. Garden Centres

23. Walks in the Park

24. Memories of Japan

While I’m no longer in Japan, I still have all of the amazing memories that I made while I was there to look back on. There are wayyyy too many to list here but one that stands out is my last year’s Horror Club.

Making costumes and hanging out with my students outside of the classroom, with some of my favourite teachers, is a really precious memory that I have. I loved seeing the kids use their creativity and I still remember (so vividly) their hunched backs and bright eyes as they leaned in to hear me tell the Grey Lady ghost story.

25. The Halloween Tree

This film contains the name of my next pet- Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud. 

26. Cinnamon

27. Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku)

This is something I’ve loved to do for a long time, but only learned the word to describe it recently! ‘Forest bathing’ is a Japanese term, describing the therapeutic benefits of being out in nature and walking amongst the forest.

GrowWild offers a simple guide to practising shinrin-yoku!

Step 1- leave behind your phone, camera or any other distractions, so that you can be fully present in the experience.

Step 2- Leave behind your goals and expectations. Wander aimlessly, allowing your body to take you wherever it wants.

Step 3- Pause from time to time, to look more closely at a leaf or notice the sensation of the path beneath your feet.

Step 4- Find a comfy spot to take a seat and listen to the sounds around you. See how the behaviour of the birds and other animals changes when they become used to your presence.

Step 5- If you go with others, make an agreement to resist talking until the end of the walk, when you could gather to share your experiences. 

-Grow Wild

28. Eating Toffee Apples

29. Autumn Colours

30. Layered Outfits

31. Ghost Stories

32. Academic Year Starting

I’m starting back at Lancaster University this Autumn and I cannot wait. The stationary is out, the notepads are gathered and everything is colour-coded and ready to go. There really isn’t anything that motivates me more than sharing a productive, academic space with people; especially people who are passionate about what they’re talking about.

33. Gothic Literature

34. Onsen

Oh, how I wished that onsen, or hot springs, were a thing in the UK. Ah well, using #24, I can think back to all of those amazing Autumnal onsen trips. One of my favourites was in a hotel up a mountain in Nagasaki with one of my best friends, Keilyn (or my Illinoisan Legolas). We sat and chatted, overlooking the whole of Nagasaki city and out to the sea. It’s a memory that I’m never going to forget.

35. Jazz Nights

36. New Pyjamas

37. Cooler Running Weather

38. Jacket Potatoes

39. Nature Photos

40. Trips to the Peak/ Lake District

41. Seeing Deer

Luckily, this isn’t a Japanese only activity. While Nara and Miyajima island are well known for their deer populations (with Miyajima containing the chavvy ones) there are plenty of places to see them in the UK too. Some places I know of are Dunham Massey, Tatton Park and Lyme Park. 

42. Cooking Smoky Chilli

43. Stargazing

44. Early Christmas Shopping

45. Knitting

No activity is more suited to darker nights and cooler weather than curling up in a throw and settling down to knitting something awesome. Granted, I can only knit very basic squares but I still feel the benefits. The warmth of the ever-growing woollen creation on your lap, the therapeutic repetition and the hypnotic clack-clack-clack of the needles make for a perfect Autumn wind-down.

What did you think of my list? Is there anything I missed off that just needs to be on here? Let me know!

Stay Positive,

Love,

Jess x