For years now, mostly due to the influence of my Danish friends, I’ve learned about the concept of “hygge” which has become more and more popular over the years in the US. My friends taught me about living a warm and cozy life; hygge involves creating spaces for warmth, comfort, nourishment, and peace. A home like this often creates warm lighting through candles or firelight and warmth through soft blankets. This home nourishes both body and soul. Think about cozy spaces where you can smell soup simmering on the stove and bread baking in the oven. Think about a circle of friends, talking and eating with no time constraints. The point? Relaxation and most of all, love.

With the cold drizzle and wind today, I venture to campus in an autumn sweater, hat, and jeans to visit friends at their various tailgates for Penn State football. After a few hours, I couldn’t wait to drive home with my daughter and enclose ourselves in warm blankets in the living room to watch the game on TV. With chili in the crockpot, buffalo chicken dip in the oven, and caramel pumpkin biscotti in process on the kitchen counter, we lit candles and relaxed for the whole afternoon. A little girl popped in with a gift of an autumn painting. I brought chili over to my neighbors in my pajamas and slippers. I returned to the blankets and curled up cats, ready for another conversation and another bowl of something warm and tasty.

I like thinking about decisions I make during the day and whether or not they add to a warm and cozy environment, the kind of space where people can be themselves and enter into the relaxation we’re all craving.

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