❄️ Winter approaches slowly, almost tiptoeing, like an expected guest who doesn’t want to make their presence known too soon. During the day, the sun still seems eager to offer a bit of warmth, a distant echo of the summer we’ve left behind. But as evening falls, or at dawn, when the city is still wrapped in quiet, the temperatures start to drop, almost like a whisper announcing the arrival of something new. And I can’t help but feel alive in these cooler hours, savoring the night’s breath as it turns cold, the air brushing my skin with a sharp lightness.

There’s something about the cold that fascinates me. I love the very concept of cold because, unlike heat, you can protect yourself from it. Cold gives you the chance to cover up, to wrap yourself in layers of fabric that shield and embrace you, building a sort of fortress against the outside as if it were an intimate ritual. It’s a sensation I find incomparable, the contrast between the chilly air outside and the warmth you create around yourself. You can wear a heavy scarf, a soft sweater, slip your hands into warm pockets, and feel that subtle pleasure of knowing you’re protected.

When I come home, there’s nothing more pleasant than stepping into a cozy environment, a soft warmth that wraps around me like a hug. I love being there, almost cradled by the heat, while outside the darkness and the cold settle into their place. I relax, maybe with a warm drink in my hands, ready to lose myself in a good book, write scattered thoughts, or simply browse the internet, following the flow of curiosity and inspiration that seems to arrive every evening. It’s as if the warmth of home makes time slow down, making everything feel more intimate.

Then comes the Christmas season. It’s as if everything around us starts to slow down and dress in a different light. The streets fill with decorations, lights appear in windows, and in the air, there’s an anticipation, a quiet excitement that carries us through to December.

I love this time of year.

It feels as if the cold becomes even sweeter, that enclosed spaces become cozier, and that each moment takes on new meaning. I let myself be carried away by this atmosphere, allowing myself to be absorbed by every detail, every little sensation that brings back memories and builds anticipation for the days ahead.

And sometimes I find myself dreaming of living in an even colder place, perhaps in some Scandinavian country, where winter arrives firmly and lingers, wrapping cities and landscapes in its calm stillness. I imagine quiet streets dusted with a light layer of snow, and people moving about on bicycles despite the biting cold.

In those places, I could pedal, breathe in the icy air, and then retreat to a cozy café, maybe with a hot chocolate in my hands, while the world outside is blanketed in white.

It feels almost like a dream of simplicity and beauty, a small pause of tranquility in the hectic rhythm of life.