Nostalgia always seems to hit me at this time of year. Something about the gusts of wind, the turning of the leaves, the knitted jumpers, the smell of firewood, the return of evenings spent inside. It feels like the perfect cure for that shift of season – which can feel both exciting and inspiring, as well as tiring and… cold.
Perhaps nostalgia is just our coping mechanism when novelty feels too much. Nostalgia is the ritual I return to for comfort this time of year, whether it’s sinking into a Nora Ephron film or eating a jacket potato with ham and coleslaw (my neighbour called this very ‘retro’).
Things that make me feel nostalgic: Linger by The Cranberries, my mum’s Pifco slow cooker, the smell of fire wood, the taste of shiso leaves. Proust called these madeleines: a sensory mode of transportation casting us back to a specific moment in time.
There is joy in this type of yearning; although like most things, I do believe nostalgia is best enjoyed in moderation.
