The changing of seasons this time of year is always bittersweet. This year it is especially true.

This summer has been one of the busiest in recent years, also the most exciting and enjoyable. I spent nearly every free weekend travelling — either to other cities for food experiences or to the mountains for bike parks. On the handful of other weekends, I was busy with events in the city.

With summer behind me, many of these things will be shelved for the coming months.

That’s the bitterness.

However, upon looking back, I realize that since May I’ve only had one true weekend off. One without plans, where I could simply relax and do whatever I felt. With so much of my weekends taken up with other things, I had to spend extra time elsewhere to keep up with work and personal projects.

With all of these seasonal activities off the table, I’ll have a ton of extra time over the next six or seven months. Sure, some of that will be filled with projects, but that will alleviate pressure from elsewhere in my schedule.

I’ll have time to focus on the little things. I can get back into my morning routine without having to sacrifice sleep. I’ll be able to the weekend market, have casual lunches with friends and check out exhibits that I would never sacrifice a warm summer afternoon for.

Sure, I could be just telling myself all this to feel better about the coming winter. But that doesn’t change the fact that I will have more time.

There’s the sweet.