The signs are clear and the calendar is the final prove. There isn't much time left before this year too will come to an end. Now that it's suddenly November, there are less than two months left until the new year and as usual, I find myself wondering where the time has gone.
Wasn't it summer just some moments ago and we were sweating, and now it has suddenly turned cold. Of course, this is nothing unusual for November, but here in Japan it always happens so abruptly. A few days ago, it was still T-shirt weather, and now we're wondering where we had put our warm winter jackets. It's on the first cold days that we realize most clearly that we are not really prepared for the coming chilly season. I still have a little hope that the thermometer will rise a little higher in the coming days and that we'll get a few more opportunities to go outside and enjoy this year's fall.
For most people, November isn't really one of their favorite months, as it can often be quite gray and unpleasant during this time of year. From my home country I was used to the same in earlier years and November felt a bit like being caught between two worlds: the beautiful golden autumn season is over, and we still have to wait a while for the bright and cozy Christmas season to arrive.
Here in Japan, we are about a month behind my home country when it comes to the weather, so fortunately it is not quite as dark and unpleasant here yet. Even though the temperatures have dropped a little, it is still quite nice outside in nature and when the weather plays along you can enjoy the most beautiful autumn colors.
And that's exactly what I'm counting on now. The long summer meant that the leaves on the trees started to change color very late. Of course, it would be nice if winter took its time to arrive, but I fear that in the end, everything will happen very quickly again. And that's exactly why I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at least the weather will be fine on the coming weekends and we'll be able to get out of the city. The weather has been rather mixed over the last few weekends, with far too much rain for my liking, and above all it rained too often. I actually had so many plans and ideas, but as usual I didn't get around to visiting all the places I had in mind. But I'm already familiar with this from the past few months, when I always wondered as well how quickly the weeks had passed once again.
And in addition, it is now also important to be careful and avoid some other dangers that are lurking everywhere. For a few weeks now, there has been some coughing, wheezing and sneezing in many places around me, and unfortunately I sometimes just cannot avoid being in the middle of it. So far, I have been lucky enough to avoid getting infected myself, even though the impacts have been getting closer and closer. So it's time to keep my fingers crossed and stay alert.
But anyway, I'm sure I'll enjoy this month too. Above all, it takes a good dose of optimism and spontaneity, and we have plenty of that in store at home. So this November too, I should be able to capture a little of the beauty of this special late season and share it with you here at this place. Even if things turn out differently than I plan, I'm still very excited to see what the next few weeks will bring. Alright November, bring it on!
