after the sun sets

tending to comfort, coziness + quiet during winter

Let’s get cozy. I just want to write about cozy, wintry, comfy things right now so let’s do that.

One of my favorite winter trips I’ve ever taken was two years ago to Norway. It was the middle of March, a dreary time in New England and we were searching for relief from the grey, cold and wet. Jed and I wrestled with going somewhere sexy and warm (Mexico…Miami…San Diego…places most people in the Northeast want to escape to), but for some reason we felt drawn to the majestic fjords of Norway. We had exactly one recommendation for this one specific area and we ran with it. Expectations were nonexistent other than hopefully some gorgeous snowy scenes and lots of time in the sauna.

a taste of the scenery

magic of winter

After a long travel day, we arrived at this gorgeous, cozy hotel in a small fishing town of coastal Norway. The air was clear and fresh—the entire trip felt like a deep inhale already. We walked into the hotel lobby. Something I appreciate about Scandinavian design and culture is the emphasis on simplicity. Or rather, the absence of excess. The interior of their spaces feels serene and unfussy without feeling stark and sterile. The star of the show in the hotel lobby is a fireplace—crackling and dancing. Guests are cozied around the fire, nibbling on cheese and cured meats and sipping wine that looks deep and rich. People are blissfully shuffling around in slippers and robes. Jed and I look at each other: this is the place.

We headed to the restaurant downstairs in the hotel. The first thing we noticed was the ambient light. The oppressive white glare of the Big Light was nowhere to be found. Candles in black wrought iron stands were scattered throughout every corner of every room. To the Danes’ “hygge”, the Norwegians have “koselig” and it was in full effect.

As we dug into the warm bread served over a bed of fresh butter and toasted sunflower seeds, I swear my Parasympathetic nervous system was activated immediately.

deep inhale

As I mentioned earlier, the entire trip felt like a deep, invigorating inhale. The metaphorical exhale that follows is the same one you feel when you sink into a warm bath or settle into a sauna. The mood and general attitude of the people felt calm and self-assured. No one was rushing around or harried. Time outside, time gathered with friends eating good food, time relaxing—namely through sauna and cold plunge—these are the priorities of the season.

We took to it quickly, and mostly designed our days around an outdoor activity and sauna/cold plunge into the most frigid harbor water I’ve ever experienced. People chat in between the heat of the sauna and shock of the plunge, hop into the warm tubs on the hotel patio and wave to passing boats. Simple, rhythmic, deeply relaxing.

a snowshoe followed by sauna = perfection

this is right outside of the hotel- Jed took this picture standing by the sauna. So cool.

on sleep

We were delighted to discover that this hotel follows a traditional Scandinavian sleep method: two duvets (one for each bed mate), no top sheet and one bed. This was great news for us, as Jed is a literal furnace at night and my feet turn into ice. Hence, usually needing two entirely different amounts of weight, pressure and layers on us at night. This was very cool and new and when the day comes for us to purchase a permanent living space and bed—I will be revisiting this method.

the bed set up when we arrived

The windows are open, cool air can refresh the room and everyone is sleeping well because each bed mate is in charge of their sleep experience. Not to mention, after a day of outdoor freshness and deep relaxation, we slept well.

recreating koselig + embracing winter

Accepting and celebrating winter has become an increasingly popular answer to the the annual struggle of seasonal depression, faced by many people for many different reasons. Though winter in our hometowns or states might not feel as magical as it does in a small fishing town of Norway, I’ve listed a few items that support the journey of enjoying this quiet season.

comfy reads:

• Wintering and Enchantment by Katherine May are two of my faves for seasonal deliciousness

• Goat Song is a lovely story of farming and living with goats : )

• Just finished Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. Nothing much happens, which is why I liked it. Rooney mostly captures the elusive bits and pieces of the internal human and relationship experience. Comforting in a very, very human way.

• I love flipping through seasonally-focused cookbooks like this one to be reminded of the beauty of seasonal eats

ambience

• I love listening to warm cooking music like this French cooking mix or this Bossa Nova mix. Imagining I’m in a small cafe somewhere special always feels nice

• For deep calm and soothing my nervous system, I will never get sick of these. I swear they work immediately.

• A warm light and candles is IT people. No one needs a link to another candle but lighting your nearest candle and letting its flame dance is healing

sleep faves:

• I’ve tried numerous magnesium supplements, and this is the only one that I have found to be effective in terms of relaxation. Delish and no weird ingredients.

• I roll up my mini acupressure mat, pop it under the base of my skull/neck…and suddenly I am asleep. It is unbelievable.

• The above paired with an Insight Timer Yoga Nidra meditation is pure magic. Shoutout to my younger brother Ben for showing me Yoga Nidra a few years ago.

• Okay so I’m fully converted to linen sheets. The place we are renting has linen sheets and we LOVE THEM. Breathable, comfortable, soft. These are the one the house has- I never would have thought to get sheets at Restoration Hardware and I’m sure there are great ones for much less out there- but those are the ones I’ve experienced so that’s what I’m listing!

the best part

The best part about everything is that everything is always changing. No weather lasts forever, no temperature. No mood or emotion lingers for years. (If it does…well that’s maybe something to look at). We can embrace the rhythm of the seasons or actively fight with it every day. Mother Nature evolves and sheds and opens and closes and dances and stands still and creates warmth. So can we— even if it’s cold and grey sometimes.