begin again

October 2025 newsletter… Book Club For One! Films perfect for fall! A visual wishlist, and more fun surprises!

A new month and a new season are upon us. Yes, the month of October may be nearly over, but fall is just beginning! For the first time, I feel ready to leave summer behind. Not that I didn’t have a good summer, because I did, but I feel satisfied with that chapter in my life. I can feel my mind and body desperately craving a re-set. I feel ready to turn the page.

I think, for the first time in my life, I kind of outgrew summer. The sticky air, frizzy hair, lazy weekdays, and busy train cars as I counted carrying my groceries home as my arm workout for the day, were taking up too much space in my mind. My routine, despite my frequent attempts, mostly successful attempts might I add, to spend my free time reading, writing, exploring New York City, seeing friends, and the like, had become somewhat repetitive. I think a change in seasons will naturally mix things up.

A new season can mean a change in perspective. A new season offers a sliver of freedom to explore something new or something old. I think it’s perfectly okay to fall back in love with a routine, a place, a hobby… a time where you felt most authentically yourself. Change is experimentation. And change can go both ways. If you don’t like the results of the experiment, in this case, you can go back to how things were, at least for the most part, but maybe with a little more wisdom.

September was a busy month filled with so much joy and laughter as I hosted friends and family for my birthday. Funnily enough, these celebrations felt like a new beginning, the fresh start I had been craving, rather than a bittersweet end. A trip to Maine marked the most perfect mental and physical break I could’ve asked for. Sometimes, taking yourself out of your routine, out of your comfort zone, is where you end up feeling the most comfortable, the most like yourself. Breathing in the crisp, salt air while hot, white sunshine left me with sun-kissed curls and cheeks, made me forget, for just a moment. Forget about my routine. Forget about my responsibilities, and the fact that I am one year older. Forget that so much has changed, like how me and my brothers will never share a kitchen ever again or a backyard. Forget that I’m worried about things not changing enough, staying the same, never evolving, never making it to the next step. Will I keep writing forever and never find the right words? Even when I find them, will I be brave enough to put them down on a page?

Maybe we must remove ourselves from routine to remember. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. Forget what we don’t need and remember what we do. I keep a folder of photos on my phone with photos of my younger self, in settings I love and environments where I felt the most expressive. I call this folder “you’re still this rock star” because sometimes, you just need that reminder every once in a while. Sometimes, no matter how far you’ve come, the comfort of knowing where it all began is all you need. These photos make me less afraid of change, because I know if something doesn’t work out the way I want it to, I can always return to square one. Nothing can change the little girl in the photos. No one can take that away.

Aka, what I’ve been reading lately and what you should be reading too.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer — Yes, you read that correctly. This month, I thought, what better way to celebrate the Halloween season and first crisp days of fall than returning to Forks, Washington. The real ones remember my Twilight-themed birthday party, circa 2013. Yes, we played baseball, and yes, we all watched the movie in my childhood treehouse. I can’t help but associate fall with the word cozy, and cozy to me means nostalgia, comfort, warmth, and whimsy. With every page, I am swept back into the eerie and supernatural world of Bella Swan, the Cullen’s, and the mysterious Jacob Black. Twilight makes me feel nostalgic for a time and place I have never been, and a world I will, for obvious reasons, never experience, and yet I am just as enthralled as when I read the book for the first time.

I remember by Joe Brainard — One of the most experimental books of our time, Brainard collects moments in his life, both relatable, and so hyper-specific that only he could possibly know the context from which they blossomed, and captures them in poetic phrases that repeat with the line “I remember.” As his memories unfold, so do the snapshots of his life as a child, into his teenage years, and eventually adulthood. His memories of specific moments, feelings, and brands, make you long for times that you didn’t experience, while at the same time making you feel as if these are your own memories. In such simple phrases, Brainard opens your eyes to his world and his experience like no author I have read ever has.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — Fall, to me, is all about studying. Studying what brings you joy. Diving head first into a topic you are passionate about. Trusting your curiosity and diving into the unknown. Learning. Growing. With Bird by Bird, I want to analyze the art of writing from new perspectives. I want to look closely and riffle through each corner. I am purposefully taking my time with this one because I don’t want to miss anything, and I want to let new information swirl around in my brain for just a bit before I move on. I am annotating as I go, a practice that has been historically difficult for me. I am more inclined to take a photo of a passage that I want to remember than mark it with a pen or pencil. Maybe I have associated annotation with stressful study sessions for far too long to make it a joyful habit. Maybe I just need more practice.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty — While fall for many means the first hints of snow, fiery red and orange foliage, and chunky sweaters and proper rain gear, fall for me brings memories of fog rolling in over the hills from San Francisco, arriving to school in a sweater and taking it off before first period has finished, hikes through mossy forests, and making s’mores in the backyard, because if we’re being honest, there isn’t much fall in California. Big Little Lies, while not set exactly in my hometown, makes me long for winding car rides along the coast and family dinners with a fire going in the living room, minus the small-town drama of course.

The Trio by Johanna Hedman — Next up on my reading list is The Trio, a novel about the interwoven lives of three friends and lovers and everything in-between. Set during two perfect summers in Stockholm, the novel unravels the delicate relationship between Thora, August, and Hugo, revealing how moments, both big and small, and the people who cross our paths, can shape our lives and who we are forever.

I have started to keep a visual wishlist. A wishlist of random little bits and bobs that I want to slowly but gradually collect over time. These objects span from household appliances, clothing, decorations, accessories, and so much more. I have decided to only keep visual wishlists from now on for three main reasons.

Reason number one being that I love the tactical practice of pulling images of what I want and arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Reason number two being that the process, while it takes longer than just writing a list without pictures, feels more intentional. My working theory is that if I want to take the time to create a visual wishlist and find the photos of what I really want to add to my collection, then I must truly want these items. I am not impulsively buying anything or hopping on to a trend. I keep to a rule while shopping that if I want something, I’ll give myself two weeks, and if by the end of those two weeks, if I am still thinking about the item, I will purchase it. The only two exceptions being that 1.) the item is something truly one-of-a-kind or 2.) something I have been searching for for some time already.

And finally, reason number three being that making a visual wishlist can help you narrow down the kind of items you want, what colors and patterns you are drawn to, what brands you like or don’t like, etc. The practice, at least for me, if nothing else, feels like a practice in further narrowing down my tastes. Curating your life in a way that reflects who you are. As silly as it may sound, making a visual wishlist almost feels like a way of learning more about myself. Another form of journaling and self-reflection.

Aka, what I’ll be watching this month and what you should be watching too.

Practical Magic — A fall season and Halloween classic, Practical Magic is a perfect movie. The heart of the story is so tender, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock’s performances are warm and heartfelt, the color palette of this film is safe and familiar, and yes, the costume design is iconic for a reason. Oh how I wish I could escape into the quaint and magical town the Owens sisters call home!

Mystic Pizza — An underrated classic, Mystic Pizza is both charming and hilarious, but honest and heartbreaking. One of the more realistic depictions of girlhood I have watched, the film follows sisters Daisy Arujo (Julia Roberts) and Kat Arujo (Annabeth Gish), and their best friend Jo (Lili Taylor) as they navigate coming of age in a small costal town that often feels like a dead-end. While I understand that Practical Magic may be the blueprint for fall fashion, I think Mystic Pizza deserves some love in that department as well. More on that later ;)

Party Girl — Another underrated classic (in my opinion) Party Girl takes a stab at what it means when a girl who just wants to have a bit of fun is faced with some harsh truths. Mary (Parker Posey!) frolics around a picturesque 90s Manhattan in capacious coats, frilly blouses, silk gloves, bright sweaters, and jewelry you could spot from miles away—re-inventing the classic fall wardrobe crowded with shades of brown and burgundy.

The Big Chill — While the film explores heavy themes like death, loss, mental health, and grief, at its heart, The Big Chill is about connection, the human spirit, and love, because after all, isn’t everything about love at the end of the day? Set to one of the best soundtracks in cinematic history, The Big Chill is cozy and melancholic, perfect for curling up with a cup of hot tea and a bowl of hot soup while snow collects on the ground outside.

Mulholland Drive — If you’re looking for something to get in the Halloween spirit, may I suggest something a bit out of the ordinary list of (Halloween movie) suspects. Mulholland Drive is eerie, whimsical, and beguiling, with haunting visuals and vivid performances by Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. While there may not be any classic jump scares, Mulholland Drive is the kind of film that will leave you wondering late at night and for days, possibly weeks, later.

I may have saved the best for last… my official fall playlist! Fall is my favorite season to make playlists for. Something about it being close to the end of the year, the weather getting cooler, and everything (kind of) slowing down, makes me feel hopeful and at ease. My first fall in New York City means walking through Central Park as the colors change, walking through the West Village on Halloween, stocking up on autumn produce at the farmers markets, and ice-skating and relaxing with hot chocolate afterwards. Who wouldn’t want a soundtrack for that? I combined some classic fall favorites with songs that feel like home, like hugs from long-distance friends, like a warm meal made by your mom, like a hot lemon and honey tea when you’re sick, like a cable knit sweater that is kind of itchy but just soft enough because a loved one made it and their perfume lingers on each stitch.

you can listen to the playlist here!

That’s all for my October newsletter! I hope, even though the month is almost over, that October brings you warmth and comfort as the season changes. I hope everything falls into place and that your world starts making a little more sense. That even on a cold, rainy, and gloomy day, you can find sparkles of happiness in the routines that make you who you are. That the books you want to read are better than you could have imagined. That when you make pancakes they flip without sticking to the pan. That if you’re trying to write, you can find the words. That if you want to start over, you don’t feel afraid.

ciao,

P.S.

My latest obsession is the packaging (and the candies themselves) on these mini black licorice candies my mom brought back for me from Sweden! When I finish the box, I plan to use it as a place to keep my lipsticks in my purse!

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