You don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and in Erzurum, warmth is no exception. One moment, the sun caresses your skin with gentle rays, and in the next blink, the frost takes its place. Winter arrives unannounced, a merciless settler staking its claim. No one can defy its strength and no plea can stop its advance.
It seeps into every corner, creeping through every crack and crevice, leaving no refuge untouched. Like a Viking descending from the north, it lays siege to the city, pillaging comfort and warmth. Even the sky succumbs, bowing in submission beneath its weight. Streets grow silent beneath thick cushions of snow, no life to be seen. People, unable to stand against its power, take shelter within their armor—coats, scarves, and gloves becoming their shells, their defenses against the bitter cold.
And yet, there is no battle to be fought, no rebellion to be waged. Winter is not a foe to conquer but a force to endure. In the face of its relentless reign, we do the only thing we can—we wait. Life continues in small, quiet acts of resilience. Beneath the layers of frost and silence, the city persists, its people moving forward, one careful step at a time, until the uninvited guest finally decides to leave.