Hello, Dear Reader.

In Wonderland, a huge part of the population goes back to work today. 4 or 5 weeks of holiday has been filled with travel, wonderful food and a lot of nice weather. “Reiseradioen”, my favorite summer radio program, is in its last week. The summer is in its last month, and it is back to the rat race of work and routine.

This is for me, usually, a sad time, since so much of my life I have lived for spring and summer. Fall is when the sun no longer fills the night, and darkness is descending. We move towards the autumn with storms, changing colors of the leafs and crisp mornings.

BUT, even if I am sad, for me, this fall is a new beginning.

I will start to study again, and I feel like I am 29 and starting on a new life. Even if new beginnings are scary and one moves toward unknown space, I welcome it.

Life is a continuous learning experience, the brain needs new input and we should keep ourselves in good standing, as it is called. When we let the daily routine and older age descend on us, we tend to forget that we need to not only keep our body healthy and trim, we need to keep our brain in shape too.

New beginnings are good brain food. Because this means my brain needs to make new nerve endings and to get into overdrive to make me happy. I will make the brain happy by exercising, eating healthy and keep my stress level within positive levels. Stress is a double-edged sword, some stress makes the body alert, too much stress and it drowns the body with aches and zero energy. After being serious burned-out the last two years, I have managed to claw myself back to life.

To enjoy waking up in the morning and smile to the world, is more than priceless…it fills me with such joy, pride and happiness that I want to scream to the world; “I am back, watch out, happiness is coming your way!”

So this year I welcome fall and I will “Fumble towards ecstasy”, both me and Sarah McLachlan, and jump onto the rat race with a smile. Do not think my days will be painless and problem free, but it will be a new beginning…and more I can’t ask for.

JustBeforeLunch will get filled with my fumbling, and everything else as usual.

Have a good lunch, Dear Reader.

ABitch.