There's something special about all the seasons, but to me, despite living in a subtropical climate, winter has the most charm. As the weather cools, the grass frosts and snow blankets the mountain peaks, a cold magic pursues and a strange sensation of home and wonder fills my soul.

Though I don't experience many winters these days, and cold days are few, this lack of cold weather creates a deeper connection for me. It exaggerates the feeling of memories from those cold winter nights by the fire, frosty mornings heading to training before school, the dragon's breath meeting the cold air, and the feeling of snow crunching beneath my hands as I ventured into the mountains for a day of adventure.

As I reminisce about the wonders of a cool breeze, wild rain, and frigid temperatures, I find solace in the moments I once despised that weather. Growing up in Wellington, New Zealand, on a winter morning, with rain piercing through your skin as the southerly wind blows it horizontally and the temperature barely creeps above 5 degrees, all you could think about was escaping that place and time. However, when I look back on those moments and picture them now, I find only happiness, and perhaps a bit of humour, but mostly happiness.

Winter can be a cold and dangerous place, full of invisible hazards that can have devastating effects. It can capture your soul and spit you back out in the blink of an eye. It can move mountains, freeze lakes, direct the migration of millions of birds, and force vast numbers of animals into hibernation. It has the capacity to bring despair and misfortune, but it also possesses the power to create magic and drive humans toward success and greener pastures. Winter has the ability to bring your mood down, but it can also charm you into feeling a part of the universe's grand design.

Certain memories in time can create a significant emotional and spiritual connection. Sometimes, when you find yourself in periods that make you feel lost or Grey discomfort, you never know how you will truly feel about those moments in another frame of mind.

The description of Wellington on that cold morning was a memory of mine as I watched my friend play rugby in Petone. It was a moment in time I chose to leave New Zealand for a warmer climate. Brisbane is my home now, and the weather provides one of the most amazing climates on the planet, which brings me constant happiness. Happiness I sometimes take for granted, but when I feel that cold air, my bones start to chill, and I start to blow steam like a dragon. I find myself in an amazing moment of nostalgia, and it creates a strong sense of happiness that I will cherish more now then I ever did before and a feeling I will connect with on a deeper level forever.

“In winter we behold the charms of solemn majesty and naked grandeur” - James Ellis

Thanks,

Dean