November | Wrapped
Busy days, cosy rituals, and a gentle slide toward year-end reflection.
November turned out to be a busy one. Between a cluster of family birthdays, a handful of long-overdue dinners and drinks with friends, and work days that seemed to vanish the moment they began, the whole month slipped by far quicker than I expected. Still, I managed to weave in a few seasonal celebrations. My first Friendsgiving was a standout. It was an evening full of great food, great company, and a food coma I’m still not fully recovered from. Then I rounded things off with an early Christmas baking session with our friends that’s left us well-stocked with Nordic sweets, gingerbread, and saffron buns.
This has been a theatre/live entertainment heavy month. Am forever grateful of the access I have to the West End and great theatre venues in general here in London! My Neighbour Totoro was genuinely impressive, almost overwhelmingly clever in places and the perfect whimisical tonic to the grey wintery mood of the month. November in Moominland had this comforting, quietly nostalgic quality to it, like stepping into a story you half-remember but can’t quite place. I also always forget how great a venue Upstairs at the Gatehouse is for seeing small and quirky shows. And in this case as show very much in its early infancy and development! I then went with a friend to see the Musicals by Candlelight concert, which was intimate, warm, and quietly gorgeous. I’m forever in awe of just how full a sound a string quartet can feel in such an echoing space as The Actor’s Church. And it was lovely to hear some of my favourite musical numbers in this arrangement too. I’ve now booked to see their Christmas by Candlelight concert (their little encore playing the some of the soundtrack to Love Actually really won me over!)
All of this has been leading into what’s shaping up to be a very festive December. I’m heading to Copenhagen to see my partner’s family, then back to London where I still have a few more Christmas adjacent events before preparing to host Christmas at home for the first time. Equal parts exciting and mildly terrifying, but in the way that makes you feel like you’re becoming a functional adult.
Now that the year is winding down, I can feel the draw to slow my pace. It’s been a big year. A lot of change, a lot of learning, a lot of reshuffling on both the personal and professional fronts. I’m surprisingly grateful for all of it, even the bits that stretched me more than I expected. I’m really looking forward to the Betwixmas days where time stops behaving properly and I’m usually found horizontal in front of the TV with leftover snacks and am hoping for a bit of breathing room. Space to reflect, reset, and ease into 2026 feeling grounded rather than caffeinated and chaotic.
The Monthly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Reading
It’s been a slow reading month, mostly because my brain has been tugged in ten different directions, so I’m still very much making my way (inch by inch) through The Atlas Six and Deep Cuts. One thing that did catch my eye was Barbara Ras’s poem “You Can’t Have It All,” which appeared in my Substack feed thanks to Eve Matheson. It’s been a while since a poem properly stopped me in my tracks. A good reminder that I should dust off my poetry books and make it a small resolution to read more of them next year.
Eating
As I mentioned, it’s been a good month of eating and being generally merry, but I want to give a special shout-out to EastWest Pizza in Tufnell Park. We popped in on a whim for an impromptu date night and left with our tastebuds slightly confused but very pleased. As the name suggests, they do Italian-Indian fusion. We tried the Spinach Paneer Arancini and the Masala Jackfruit Pizza, both packed with flavour in a way that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
Playing
Everybody Scream, Florence + The Machine
I know I’m late to the obsession, but Everybody Scream has been my soundtrack of the month. It’s a heady mix of ethereal soundscapes, atmospheric lyricism, and Florence’s signature haunting vocals. It feels like her at her most powerful — or at least her most dramatic, which is sometimes the same thing.
Obsessing
It will shock absolutely no one that my brain has been entirely occupied by Wicked: For Good. I’ve been looping the soundtrack, naturally, but also diving into all the analysis videos breaking down every detail from tiny set choices, costume Easter eggs, and all the callbacks to the original Gregory Maguire novel.
Recommending
This month I’m giving a shout-out to Chiara Lucia, whose TikTok I’ve followed for ages, but whose YouTube I’ve properly fallen into recently. Her vlogs have this gentle, reflective tone that makes me slightly nostalgic for my twenties. In a nice way. Like I’m reliving them with more sleep and better skincare.
Treating
In a bid to protect my skin from the charming combo of winter winds and radiators, I picked up Superdrug’s Vitamin E Moisture Mask. I’ve been using it in the evenings before bed, and it’s become an easy, low-effort way to feel like I’ve done something to look after myself on nights when a full sheet mask feels far too ambitious. Highly recommend if you also have “cannot be bothered” evenings.
If you made it this far - thank you. I hope your November treated you gently. Drop a comment with what you’re looking forward in this last month of the year!
See you in December. Hopefully a little more rested, a little more sugared, and fully leaning into the festive chaos.
I am urgently in need of rest and sugar and just some quiet time 😭 Have a wonderful time in Copenhagen! We must plan a coffee or dinner or both in the new year!