How to have a Meg Ryan fall

the ultimate autumn checklist

image created by emma brady on shuffles

If there’s one thing I’m going to do, it’s romanticise a season. Someone said to me the other day that they love living in the UK because we get seasons here, and I had never thought of it like that. I grew up in Greece where, indeed, seasons are more mellow. Fall and spring are barely there, while summer lasts forever and winter visits for a few days and makes a whole fuss about it. Now in London, I do actually get seasons. It feels like every one of them makes its presence known for the right amount of time, in the right way. And I know someone will fight me on this, saying London winters are too harsh, or London summers nonexistent- but I’m honestly happy with what we get, and the balance of it all, as I perceive it.

As I’ve said on this blog before, my own favorite secret to happiness and enjoying my life can be described simply as: knowing how to put myself in the mood. Autumn is my favorite season. While putting yourself in the mood for spring includes lovely park walks with friends, and putting yourself in the mood for summer looks like sitting on the beach and going strong on my Goodreads challenge, autumn is when I feel like the vibe genuinely matches and soothes my soul. So, I’m ready to have a Meg Ryan fall, and you should too.

If you’re unfamiliar, a Meg Ryan fall takes its name after Meg Ryan’s repertoire of 90s movies famously set in NYC during (you guessed it) the fall! It’s a whole vibe and it is in your best interest to embrace it - you’ll just enjoy the season a lot more if you do.

Here’s a guide of things you can do to romanticise the season, put yourself in the mood, and realize fall was the best season all along:

• Watch: We do have to cover the basics first. Have a movie night, or multiple:

  • You've Got Mail

  • Sleepless in Seattle

  • When a Man Loves a Woman

  • When Harry Met Sally

  • If you’re in the mood for something heavier: Dead Poets Society

• Read:

  • Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. The eerie library setting and cabin in the woods, mixed with Murakami’s casual magical realism, make this book a quintessential autumn read for me.

  • Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. A short and cozy read; for some reason I find Japanese literature to really capture this vibe well.

  • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I love a murder mystery in the fall, and Agatha Christie ones are short and snappy.

  • White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Heavy Dostoyevsky is for winter, light Dostoyevsky is for fall. Keep Crime and Punishment for January - October is the time for White Nights.

• Listen:

  • Here’s my playlist of soft jazz classics that I love listening to on early morning autumn walks. It’s a Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra type of season.

  • While you’re reading Japanese literature, this is the playlist I made for when I need to be transported to a Japanese jazz bar: low light, Casiopea, vinyl jazz.

  • This album was made for October and November specifically and no one can tell me otherwise, it’s been my autumn go-to for the past 5 years.

  • If you love books, fall, philosophy, and podcasts, then I’ve got the one for you: in the least self-promo way possible, Espresso Epilogues is the vibe you’re looking for.

• Activities:

  • Starting off with this one that’s kind of an activity but not exactly? It’s certainly part of making yourself as cozy as you can be: reading/working/writing while sitting on the floor. Overly specific. But it works; yesterday I recorded my entire podcast episode for Espresso Epilogues while sitting on the carpet with a blanket over me, a cup of tea, and these little dark chocolate biscuits I’ve been loving, and for some reason it’s exactly the right kind of vibe you need this month. Start sitting on the floor, I’m an advocate.

  • I find that early morning walks are the best in October. Wake up earlier than usual and go on a mission; get out of the house without thinking of your outfit or makeup or anything else, before you have to get anything else done in the day, and go get yourself a coffee or chai latte while listening to a good playlist or podcast.

  • On your way back home, don’t listen to anything. Let your brain do its thing while you’re walking home and allow yourself a moment of silence for thoughts to flow and your head to clear before you start the day. We don’t do that enough.

  • Discover independent coffeeshops in your area. My boyfriend and I have been doing this lately and I’m loving it; we’ll make a point of going to cafes we’ve never tried before and finding our new favorites. Get your regular coffee order and try it at every different place, maybe one a week, ranking your favorite ones; where’s the best oat cappuccino in the area? It’s your task to find out, you’ll probably be too cold to in the winter. Combine with your early morning walks for maximum impact.

  • There’s no better gift for the people in your life than something you just baked yourself. Can’t stress this enough; if you’re not baking right now, you’re missing out. I’ve been baking banana bread every week for the past couple of months, developed my own recipe by playing around and seeing what I preferred, and written it in our little recipe notebook. I’ve been giving my banana bread to all my friends to try, made a loaf for some friends as a gift when I went to their house for lunch, and it turns out, people just love banana bread? And I love making it. This week I’m making a fall variation; I added maple syrup, cinnamon butter and nut butter in it… The joy this is giving me is unmatched.

  • Making any kind of cinnamon-related tea, with a dash of oat milk and a little honey. The ultimate fall drink.

  • Also: french press coffee. I love filter coffee but love it a little more in the fall. I found a maple autumn flavour at Trader Joe’s when I was in Boston last week, and as you can imagine, it’s exactly what is needed right now.

  • Open the window when it starts raining. As long as it’s not windy and the rain doesn’t get in, sitting by an open window while it’s raining somehow provides the most comforting sound in the world; it will accompany any of the above activities while you’re at home and make them ten times better. Next time you notice it’s raining, open the window and see the difference that it makes.

  • Dinner parties: I absolutely love hosting dinner parties in the autumn or winter. Whether you’re cooking yourself or having your friends each bring a dish, getting everyone together when the weather’s still quite soft makes for the nicest evening activity. If you haven’t done that recently, maybe this is your sign.

  • If you work remotely, it’s the perfect time to try out new cafes and spaces you can work from in your city. I love exploring places in London that feel cozy and comfortable to work at; it genuinely makes me enjoy my work so much more, makes me more productive, and more inspired and motivated. It’s the perfect time for a change of scenery and to start finding some places that simply get you in the mood.

• Places I would like to be:

I hope that gives you enough to think about and to explore, and I hope it makes autumn your favorite season, until the next one. I’m very excited for October. It feels like there’s barely enough time to do all the autumn things I want to do, and I can think of something exciting for every day. Don’t forget that the secret is genuinely to know how to get yourself in the mood, always. Don’t let a change of weather bring you down- there’s huge beauty in romanticising what life gives you every day.

Comment your favorite things to do in the fall, whether they’re books to read, blogs that get you in that mood, recipes, anything at all. I’d love to hear from you. 💌