Mid-Autumn. It’s getting darker. Leaves are changing. Concord grapes are being replaced by squash. CVS stores are fully stocked with Halloween candy. If you’re wearing a good Halloween costume, you’ve probably already figured out what it’ll be. Your summer clothes have been completely put away and you’re revisiting your jackets and blazers (or visiting J Crew to start stocking up on sweaters).

Fall is a season of transitions, an in-between time: in-between vacations (Labor Day and Thanksgiving), in-between the extremes of summer and winter. The excitement of back to school has faded and it’s too early to look forward to snow or Christmas shopping. You can only Instagram so many pictures of autumn leaves.

So what do we do with these bright, short days? They’re not particularly remarkable. But neither is much of our day-to-day lives. Think about it: we wake up, go to the gym, go to work, have drinks with colleagues, have dinner with friends. Maybe there’s a play or a birthday party or a big football game to watch. The majority of our time is spent on the routine; it’s where life is lived.   Continue reading →