This January felt long and not long enough. It was the only time I had between back-to-back trips abroad to re-establish all of life’s routines, before chucking them out the plane’s window again.
On top of that, one of my step-daughters returned from a 6-month stay in Denmark, bringing with her some classy outfits and recharged curiosity for all things teenage America. I started a new business with a single motto: “Fake it you make it.” And, of course, gained a few pounds.
How was your January?
Among all this, I caught a few very joyful moments, all of them straight out of the Nordic happiness manual. After the commercial frenzy of December, it was a good time to remind myself that the best things in life are (almost) free.
With a bit of an attitude adjustment, we can all be experiencing January Joy (or February Fun!) in no time.
Here are some thoughts.
Coming home
Coming home to the U.S. has its challenges, and it usually takes me a few days to get adapted to all the good and the bad. But returning from a long journey to “where everybody knows your name,” is an undeniable joy.
May we all see our homes as if we’ve been away for a while!
Feeling like a child
This past Monday, I was working at my desk when a friend called me and said she was driving down to Santa Monica with her son.
Next thing you know, I’m on a Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier enjoying the views and the fresh air. She had to all but drag me to get on it (“It’s for tourists!”), but we had the happiest of times. The joy of going up and down, on a Monday afternoon of all times, made me giddy. My daughter wasn’t there, but I felt like a kid myself, carefree and doing something for the pure joy of it.
Despite my Danish family’s obsession with amusement parks, thanks to Copenhagen’s world-famous Tivoli Gardens, I’ve never taken my daughter to our local one because I am, well, a snob. Boy, was I wrong!
What can you do this week to feel like a kid again?
(Collective) cooking outside
Perhaps, it’s the cavewoman in me, but I find any type of outdoor cooking involving fire a tremendously joyful experience. It took us a month to get to it, but last week, my neighbors and I cooked our dinner in the shared courtyard on a small charcoal grill, with our winter coats on. The process was fun and the food was delicious. I only hope the rest of the neighborhood enjoyed the smoke as much as we did.
Collective cooking and eating are a big part of Danish and Scandinavian culture, and I can see why.
When was the last time you took your grill for a spin and invited a few neighbors?
Getting vitamin N
As any outdoor-loving Scandinavian will tell you, the health benefits of nature are undeniable. While our weekdays are busy with “life stuff,” I make a point to connect to nature every day, even if it means picking up leaves or counting ants on the way home from preschool. On weekends, we seek out “big nature,” a term my three-year-old now understands, by driving out to the mountains. These days are the happiest ones of the week.
Can you make nature a habit?
Embracing bad weather
With a true Nordic spirit, we’ve been embracing the bad weather that January brought our way. Even here in Santa Monica, it’s quite colder than in bordering Los Angeles and the nights can be close to freezing. We also get a fair share of rain and ocean wind.
I see these days as a perfect challenge to embrace the Danish friluftsliv and remember that “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.” Armed with waterproofs, my daughter and I head out in search of muddy puddles. I carry spares and let her get as soaked and dirty as she wants, to the amusement and horror of local parents.
Can you pick one day of bad weather and try to find joy in it, as if you were a child again?
Making things
This month, we accidentally discovered beeswax candle-making kits that can be ordered online. It’s an amazing find for both parents and candle lovers like us! These are quick and easy to make and we burn them at the dinner. My daughter had fun decorating them and now, when she sees a candle at the dining table, she knows exactly where it came from.
Ever since living in Denmark (which burns more candles than any other country in the world), I can’t get enough of candles and the warm light they produce. And what a joy to be rolling your own!
Go ahead and share your January Joys or try some of mine. Good luck!
Det var så lidt!
Mange tak for at dele dit liv.