Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I really like January.
Thereās no dry January or Veganuary happening Chez Hanny but natural moderation kicks in, as does a desire to get out and do more exercise following the excesses of the festive season. My body craves regular stretching in the form of a crisp country walk or a gentle run.
Sure, itās dark and cold but I like to come home and get warm and cocoon myself up in my little office studio where itās cosy and I can write and work and watch the sunrise/sunset depending on what time of day I find myself up here. That or curling up by the fire with some good TV (Slow Horses anyone?) or a book.
My Granny used to famously utter āthe nights are drawing inā sometime in early-September, but I never heard her or anyone else optimistically say āthe nights are drawing outā as January went on. Yet, itās true that every day we gain a couple of minutes of daylight here in the south of England; observing and noticing that makes me feel hopeful at the prospect of spring.
I find myself fizzing with ideas in January; too many if truth be told. But thatās ok, Iām steadily learning to deal with this affliction, or the ideas volcano as I once called it. Iāve currently got three notebooks on the go and when the ideas come I scribble, scribble, scribble; banking them for another day when Iām bare of thought lava.
January feels like a neat and organised month. It gives me space to get my ducks in order right at the start and Iām often (pleasantly) surprised by the amount of interior design work that appears before me in January. Iām only in year 2 of this business venture, but already I see the pattern emerging.
After Christmas thereās a desire for change, for a renaissance, for something different. Homes can offer that. It might just be the moving of a piece of furniture or it could be a drastic new room design. Either way thereās an appetite for thinking differently about living and Iām here for it and here for all of my new clients.
I feel an appetite for travel planning in January and there are trips afoot. Plans to return to France after not visiting for almost six months (too long), and plans for some other, birthday-related travels to further flung places perhaps? January has brought with it some clarity on the importance of travel to me. Iāve been working through Selina Barkerās excellent Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025 journal. I wrote that being in France for a month in 2024 was one of my happiest moments.
So, in 2024 travel will be prioritised over buying āstuffā because I already know the importance of memories and experiences and I want to soak those up in my 40th year on this planet.
The start of the year brings a sense of future vision to me. Not in a mystical power sort of way, but in the manner of needing to believe hard in something I want to do and then seeking out the how in order to make it happen. I didnāt used to understand this, but Iāve done it before and Iāll do it again and January feels ripe for it.
January is the month of wearing excellent socks. I received a number of dreamy pairs for Christmas (thank you family) - various types of wool: sheep, alpaca, cashmere and they make my feet feel safe in their warm little snuggly burrows.
That feels like a metaphor for January to me right now.
Iām Hannah Ashe, a multi-hyphenate based in London. I left my full-time teaching job in July 2023 to pursue a more creative approach to work. These days I earn my living from a variety of sources including interior design consultancy, music teaching, writing, podcasting and building this Substack. Do come and say hello in the comments!
I get that feeling about January too! Like youāre shedding the previous year and are looking to a fresh year ahead.
Yes to Slow Horses! šš¼
A cashmere sock is a wondrous thing š