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“I paint flowers so they will not die” - Frida Kahlo

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I miss autumn, so I'm going to yearn on your dashboard now

reading a book while cuddled up in a corner on your bed, coffee on the windowsill and rain hitting your window right next to you

warm drinks in general - coffee, hot chocolate, tea

layering clothing - dress shirt + sweater / vest + coat

in general autumn clothing like sweaters, turtleneck, vests, coats, scarves, etc

walking somewhere while it's raining, smelling the fresh air as the raindrops hits your umbrella and forming puddles on the pavement

school starting back up, and though stressful, you can look forward to learning in your favourite classes

crunchy leaves. That's it.

the perfect weather - rainy, gloomy, not too hot so I'm not melting, not too cold so I'm not freezing, I get to wear coats all day long

cafés hit different when your hands are cold, it's raining outside and you pick up your hot cup of coffee, leaning back in your seat and reading or researching something

late evening study / reading sessions when it's actually dark out and your light sources are a desk lamp or a couple candles, they just feel more like a vibe

actually having time to have a candlelit room because it's finally dark enough out

I'll repeat - coats! wearing coats!

because school's starting up again it's again time for notes that start off neat for the first month (maybe) and then soon get messy again

dark but warm tones everywhere, leaves are turning pretty reds and oranges and yellows and people are more likely to wear browns and blacks and in general darker / muted colours

listening to rain in a candlelit room while listening to classical music, sitting either by your desk or on the ground while you impulsively decide to research some very specific topic and take an unnecessary amount of notes about it

stepping in shallow puddles and on wet pavement, listening to the lil splish sound every step you take

carrying around a warm drink that you bought on your way to school and ir warming up your cold hands

I personally get a lot more motivation to study because the environment is finally Just Right

the howl of the wind as you stay awake reading when you should most definitely be asleep

I can finally wear boots again! they look so much nicer than any summer shoes that actually let you breathe

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normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.

- Vincent van Gogh

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espresso banana bread w maple glaze

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Calm morning in the finals rush! ☕️

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By trechtalive

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DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989) dir. Peter Weir

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Some focaccia I made last spring

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“Grocery store on main street of Ranchester in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming.” Photographed 1941 by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration.

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“It takes a small town to keep you humble” ~Bess Streeter Aldrich

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Small town livin’… 🎡🎆

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Juneau - Alaska - USA (by Bernard Spragg. NZ) 

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here's what i love about small towns

Let it be known that I decided in college to be a city girl. That I live in the city now, on a small city lot, with a beautiful city vegetable patch and noisy city neighbors. We've got nightlife, a truly state-of-the-art library, museums, and ~so much~ diversity, which is important to me as a mixed-race person. I love seeing people from different walks of life. I love the authentic ethnic cuisine around every corner. I love being at a center of industry, culture, newness, and education. I thought I'd love to be a city girl forever.

Then, the pandemic hit, and for the past year and a half I've been reevaluating.

I grew up in a small town. My partner refuses to consider my hometown "small" due to the fact that it has many stoplights. His small hometown is smaller and has no stoplight at all. It does, however, have a general store.

My hometown was just the right size for me. It's small enough to see someone you know almost everywhere you go, but not so small that it feels suffocating. Its population is in the 20,000 range. It's only 20 minutes outside of the city, so most people commute to work every day, meaning they're exposed to the city's diverse, progressive ideals. This isn't to say that my hometown is a progressive place, but it's fairly moderate. This is important to me as a mixed-race person, because if you go much more than 20 minutes away from the city, you start to get uncomfortable glances from rural folk.

Today I was thinking about why I love small towns, and why I can see myself moving back with my partner someday soon. Here's why:

1. Everything is connected. I can head to an open mic night at my favorite coffee shop, where I know I'll get a warm smile from Mr. Winbacher, who was my mom's elementary art teacher, and whose adult daughter, Julie, now takes a dance class with me. Julie was also in the city's high school choir 20 years before I was and had the same choir director that I did, Mrs. McClane, who now leads the city's community choir, in which everyone mentioned in this paragraph sings. To boot, Julie's aunt was my middle school English teacher, who was good friends with my middle school social studies teacher, who tried to pick up my mom at a bar she'd occasionally attend with Julie. Everything weaves itself together, which makes life feel familiar and comfortable.

2. People are generally more laid back than they are in cities, and life moves slowly. Since cities are centers for business and education, it naturally follows that there are lots of educated urban dwellers who are highly career driven and love to talk about it all the time. Sometimes it feels like people's careers become absolutely inextricable from their identities as human beings. And the whole "aesthetic of the grind" thing is honestly kind of annoying. I love how many people in small towns are humble. I love the surprise of finding out that the bartender at my favorite coffee shop has a law degree but hasn't mentioned it in the several years we've crossed paths. I love how carefully people drive in small towns. How people smile and wave from passing cars. How nobody seems to be in a hurry and people don't generally pretend to be something they're not.

3. Past times, restaurants, and leisure activities are generally inexpensive. I love weekends that revolve around bonfires in a friend's backyard. I love meeting loved ones for a stroll at the park or a trip to the local library. I love being able to find a breakfast of pancakes and eggs for $2.00 at the local diner, instead of some $16 gourmet French toast from a vegan bakery. Small towns are generally unpretentious.

4. There's nothing like a small-town autumn. Everything is cozy during small-town autumns. There are fall festivals, hayrides, orchards for picking apples and pumpkins in close proximity, and picturesque views that feel straight out of a good book.

5. There's nothing like a small-town summer. City-wide festivals, farmers markets, days at the lake with friends, kids playing outside, teens falling in love, the fair coming to town...it all feels very "Jack and Diane."

6. Small towns are quiet. Where we live in the city, there's noise from early in the morning until the middle of the night--construction, trains, cars, power tools, sirens, fireworks, and the occasional gunshot. In small towns, nighttime is filled with the sound of crickets and often nothing else.

7. Air quality is usually better in small towns. Fewer people = less pollution.

8. Town festivals are major events. In the city, we're blessed to have countless options for things to do every weekend. In small towns, though, the hype leading up to town events is really intense. Whether its to celebrate cherry blossoms, sweet corn, or maple syrup, or getting ready to see fireworks on the Fourth of July, everybody participates and looks forward to the town happenings. They're not just fun things to do--they're social gatherings, as well, especially in towns where everyone knows everyone.

9. Small towns feel safe. Where there are fewer people, there's less crime. But beyond that, it's hard to say what's going to happen in our country in the next few decades. As cities are centers of industry and education, they also tend to be centers of unrest when things get shaky. Small towns have a bit more distance from such unrest.

10. Great memories are made in small towns. I'll always remember going downtown after school with a handful of dimes to buy a donut from our local bakery. I'll always remember picking blackberries from a field across the street. I'll always remember attending the annual town parade through the various phases of my life, and how each chapter was different from the others. I'll always remember how the town came together for high school football games, and the sound of the marching band. I'll always remember time spent with the people I care about in a place I love.

Small towns are by no means perfect, but these are some reasons why I love them anyway.

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all the small town inspo i need

GILMORE GIRLS + fall.