It’s probably here. Winter. At least that’s what I think when I’m sitting in the S-bahn train and a friend asks me how far it is to my apartment; when the rain has made my shoes soggy for the zillionth time; when I put on a second scarf for the first time; and when I put on a great T-shirt that no one will see all day because it is under my sweater anyway. You notice it when you catch yourself in the park having wistful thoughts; trying in vain to imagine the supposedly heat-giving celestial body called the sun. And then I get a text message from Rome and I ask myself why I am still here. The answer is: I need it. Yes, as silly as it may sound. But we probably all need it. And why? Because inspite of a little bit of Christmas cheer and snow sports, we wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate summer’s beauty. Indeed, if it weren’t for summer’s mean little brother, winter, we wouldn’t fall to the extent we do under that summer-magic spell.

Text & Photo by Eugen Braeunig