Time is moving on again. Christmas is approaching with all its weight; summer is a distant memory and we are right into the depths of winter. This is one of my favourite times of the year, but also one of the most emotional. I often find myself with a lot of time to think, or perhaps more accurately I find I have the disposition for long nights of introversion. I especially find myself looking back over previous Christmases and previous winters, which always dredges up a wave of dormant relationships and feelings. I generally find it difficult to recall memories at will, but this time of the year always seems to burn into my mind a lot more vividly than the fast-paced summer or the ever-busy spring time. As I look back over my life, a lot of my most vivid memories involve me, around this time of year, shivering in the evening under the light of the street lamps.

I love this season where I can really feel detached from what’s going on around me, if only for a short time; a time to really look at myself and invest time and effort into the relationships and personal things that are really important to me. There’s nothing quite like the ideal (that is never quite realised) of sitting around the fire with those you love and rebuilding the relationships that may have withered somewhat over the last 12 months or so. In these long nights it feels as though time slows right down, especially when the days are short and grey like they are at the moment, meaning everything just blends together into one long evening.

After an incredibly busy autumn I feel I can rest for a week or two; I am able to look back over the path I have taken this year and think about which direction I want to head off in now. So much has changed in these last few months, and I’m sure the months ahead will bring even more exciting new experiences.