October is often a month I’m looking forward to because of the colorful landscapes. But it can also be just as tricky as it can be beautiful.

This year’s October was quite moody and damp when it comes to the weather. And that affected my hiking plans. I had two one-day hikes in the first half of the month – one quite nice even if chilly and another quite gloomy. At the end of the month, I went for a 4-day trip to the lowlands, which had a fair amount of color. All of those will, as usual, get their own posts, full of photos. But on the nicer days, the autumn was also quite beautiful in the towns.

October also meant some improvisation – my grandma’s birthday gathering was delayed because she had the flu. Which worked out well, as the original date planned was during the election weekend, and I was glad that the delay would make sure we’d not talk politics much.

When it comes to writing, after the progress made this summer, I decided to put things aside to clear my mind and then prepare for a read-through with fresh eyes, which I’m currently planning for November.

As for reading, I finished the book I started reading in late September and made my progress through the series, though I haven’t finished the third book by the end of October, but only the day after – review of one book was already posted, the next one will come soon.

It was also quite a busy month at work (and the hiking trip at the end helped a lot), so I was leaning more towards “easier” forms of entertainment, such as playing computer games and chain-watching documentaries. And, finally, the hiking club is wrapping up the plan for next year, including the materials we’ll provide for our members. I’m taking care of the summer trip for next year, which means some early communication with the hotel, though the details will be finalized in early 2026.

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That’s a quick overview of my October. November should be easier on me at work, and I have a good idea what to read next in the meantime, with both my reading and hiking goals being a bit ahead of the plan. Here’s hoping that your November will be a good time.