Sunday journalling prompt

That 'back to school' feeling

Hello,

I was lying in bed last night, wondering where August went. A month seems like such a substantial chunk of time in prospect, but it dissolves as we live it. My quiet summer - which ended up not being very quiet at all - is almost over. And that brings a certain mood.

It’s partly atmospheric: the nights are already a little darker and there’s a dampness in the air. But I also think it’s imprinted in me from the rhythm of my formative years: the ‘back to school’ feeling, a fizzing mixture of resistant dread and possibility. It feels exciting and terrible all at once, this return to routine that hints at redemption, at finally getting it right this year. Sharp pencils, a fresh notebook, new shoes. Dew on the grass as you catch the morning bus. The first whisper of Christmas.