may possibilities

a month of small adjustments, sunshine, and little keepsakes

There was a definite shift for me this May. It felt like the cloud that was following me around in April finally lifted, parting just enough to let the sun shine through. Maybe I’m thinking this because I’m currently drafting this article in my journal, sitting outside in a park, listening to the birds and the wind gently whistling through the trees, the breeze brushing against my skin while the 24°C sun warms my heart and soul. It’s a beautiful day in Edinburgh. It’s been like that for a few days now, and I feel alive, happy, and content. Who would have thought that all I was missing was a bit of vitamin D?

This May, I’ve made a few adjustments to my routine. I go to bed early and get up early. My sleep schedule was all over the place for a while. It’s nice to fall back into a proper rhythm that energises me.

After a month off journalling in April, I’m back at it, and spending more time with pen and paper again has been a welcome return.

For some time, my to-do list was eating me up, rendering me completely paralysed. Now, after journaling in the morning, I write down my top three priorities for the day and then list two to five other things that would be nice to accomplish, but aren’t necessary. What I’ve found is that having three tasks written down on paper not only makes things more manageable but also helps me focus. I don’t have a bunch of tasks jumbling around in my brain, popping up throughout the day, reminding me that I’m behind on everything.

I’m also mixing big and small tasks to make the list feel achievable. I’ve followed this method before, but I’d stopped. Instead, I was piling big tasks on top of each other, like layering butter onto toast.

There are days when I complete all my priority tasks and pick a few from the next list, my nice-to-do list. Other days, that list gets a little more attention, and sometimes none at all. But this method has helped me be more flexible and less critical of myself.

I’ve also been taking a few free online classes about language and culture, and that has truly reinvigorated me. My work doesn’t offer many opportunities to learn or develop myself, so I’m carving out time for it elsewhere. It’s been incredibly energising. Sometimes you’ve got to review your priorities, what you want from a month or a season, and adapt your life around it.

I must confess I’m feeling a little guilty at this exact moment because, instead of taking the last lesson of my module, I’m spending time outside. But we don’t often get this type of weather in Edinburgh, so I’ve shifted my priorities once more to make the most of this gorgeous sun. I can always take my lesson in the evening when the sun has retreated.

And just as I’m closing the month, I’m also writing on the very last page of my journal, which feels oddly satisfying.

This month’s entry was a little more personal than usual, but it felt fitting somehow. I hope May brought you a few good moments too <3

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Each month, I like to take a moment to reflect and share a few of my favourites. Below, I’ve rounded up my picks in the following categories:

• Keepsakes – Moments to hold onto

• Media Stack – Digital detours that held my attention

• Music Interlude – Songs I kept listening to

• Objects of Affection – Small things that brought joy

• Bookmarks – Books I flipped through

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KEEPSAKES

the texture of (an early) summer

improvised picnic
Edinburgh has finally reached that time of year when it feels sensible to keep a blanket in my bag at all times, ready for impromptu picnics. Whether it’s during my lunch break or while wandering through the city. If it’s sunny and there is a free patch of grass, I’ll go get some fresh strawberries and set up the picnic blanket.

collecting flowers
I’ve been collecting flowers on my walks lately. Some end up in tiny vases around my flat, others are pressed into whatever book or notebook I’m carrying. I love reading and suddenly reaching the middle of a book where a blossom lies flat and dry. A little memento of spring.

taking time off for myself
I took two days off for no reason. No trips, no big plans. Just spring cleaning, online studying, trying a new café, getting my first gelato of the season (one scoop of brown sugar cinnamon and one of salted pistachio), reading, spending time in the park, sunbathing, writing, and taking pictures. In short, feeling alive.

the first watermelon
Ok. It wasn’t that good. It wasn’t sweet or juicy, but rather watery. However, biting into it, hearing that so distinct crunch felt really nostalgic. A sign that summer is around the corner.

a baking night with friends
Windows open, the sweet spring-to-summer breeze grazing our shoulders, munching on fresh strawberries and juicy cherries, drinking wine and chatting the night away while baking cakes and cookies. I want more evenings like this this summer.

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MEDIA STACK

source: IMDb.com

The Worst Person in the World (dir. Joachim Trier, 2021)

Last January, I watched Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier and left with puffy eyes from bawling in the cinema (read my review here). I made a mental note to catch up on all his filmography and started with The Worst Person in the World.

The film follows Julie (played by Renate Reinsve) as she drifts between careers, relationships, and different versions of herself, unsure of what she really wants from life. She falls in love, makes impulsive choices, and struggles with big questions about commitment, identity, and growing up while everything keeps changing.

I’m truly impressed by how Joachim Trier captures millennial anxiety, and most of all the female experience on film. I deeply connected with the main character, Julie. Once we are done with school, we are thrown into the adult world without many anchors, whether through university, college, or the workplace. Not everyone has a clear trajectory in mind for their future. I certainly didn’t, and still don’t. I’m still making my way through life one day at a time. And I’ve had a lot of anxiety, conflicted feelings around it, something that Renate Reinsve portrayed brilliantly. She looks so natural, real, and honest. Frustrating, yes, but probably because her story feels so relatable. It’s truly like watching life unfold on screen, real, messy and full of emotion.

The Worst Person in the World is divided into 12 chapters, which is very interesting as it carries the viewer through the film, wondering what we’ll explore next. It isn’t fully linear, more like little vignettes sewn together. I’ve noticed that Joachim Trier loves close-up shots of faces against blurred backgrounds, letting the viewer in on the characters’ emotions. It feels very intimate because of that. On top of that, the cast isn’t dolled up as we see in mainstream movies. Maybe because it’s a Norwegian production? It adds this layer of authenticity, and the acting is remarkable. Trier repurposes his cast. You get attached to them, like you’re growing with them through the movies, despite them playing different roles. His first movies centred around Ander Danielsen Lie (Aksel in TWPITW), who has now stepped down to the love interest role, but he is still there. Renate Reinsve is now playing the lead, as she did in Sentimental Value. I hope she will be in his next movie too.

There is a scene in which everything freezes around Julie (no spoiler, it’s in the trailer), and she is the only one in motion. It perfectly encapsulates this feeling when you are all alone, not in a sad way, but free. It was truly beautiful.

If you like character studies, introspective films, and messy realism, you’ll probably love it. Don’t expect a clear resolution, but rather a film that lets you ponder.

Finally, can we talk about Oslo? The city truly shines. It feels vibrant, lush with greenery, and all the flats depicted in the film made me want to move there asap.

If you’ve seen Trier’s movies, which one would you recommend I watch next?

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MUSIC INTERLUDE

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OBJECTS OF AFFECTION

Nikon Coolpix AW100
I’m planning a little holiday around Scotland this June. A mother-daughter trip exploring a few cities here and there. For ten days, I’ll be living out of a 32-litre duffel, and I’ll need to be strategic with packing. Every centimetre counts.

I’ve been looking for a new little camera for some time. While I do love my old Canon EOS M6, it’s quite bulky. I needed a camera that was more compact, light, waterproof, shockproof, and had decent image quality. I have an iPhone 12. The quality isn’t the best, the storage is reaching its limit, and let’s be honest, capturing something on a phone just isn’t the same. I was toying between the Nikon Coolpix AW100 and the Olympus Stylus TG-850. So I set up an alert on MBP. After three months, the Nikon finally came back in stock. I jumped on the occasion, and it’s been so much fun to play around with it.

Sometimes on my walks, I’d notice something worth capturing, but the phone camera just didn’t cut it. Now I carry this little Nikon everywhere I go and can shoot at any time. I can stop on the street, take my time to frame a shot, zoom in and out without losing too much quality, sometimes make a few adjustments to the light, or sometimes just point and shoot. The colours have a dream-like sheen. I’m smitten. It has brought me so much happiness. Probably the best £100 I spent this year.

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BOOKMARKS

This May, my reading was filled with characters searching for belonging, whether across countries, languages, relationships, or within themselves.

my read (The Wax Child) vs my view

Here’s a list of all the books I finished in May:

• Famesick by Lena Dunham (memoir)

• Sisters in Yellow by Mieko Kawakami (literary fiction)

• The Wax Child by Olga Ravn (historical fiction)

• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (literary fiction)

• A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa (magical realism)

• Exophony: Voyages Outside the Mother Tongue by Yōko Tawada (essays/languages)

• Mongrel by Hanako Footman (literary fiction)

• Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ (historical fiction)

Check out the full article for my reading notes:

What did you read and love in May?

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This month felt defined by small adjustments. A steadier routine, more time outdoors, a return to journalling, and a renewed curiosity for learning. The books, film, and moments I’ve shared all seemed to circle the same idea: making space for growth, even when it happens gradually.

Next week, I’ll be setting off on a Scottish adventure with my mum. We’ll be spending two weeks exploring a few corners of the country together, and while I might be a little quieter online, I’m hoping to come back with plenty of stories, photographs, and moments to share.

Before I go, I’d love to hear from you.

What brought you joy in May?
And what are you looking forward to this summer?

Until next time,

Amandine

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