City Snow and Country Snow...

A few days ago, we reminisced about last Valentine's Day, when Ryan surprised me with an overnight getaway in Indianapolis. He'd found the tiniest little Airbnb apartment on the top floor of an apartment building, with a gorgeous view of the city skyline. 

The air was frigid, but the sunset was so brilliant, and I kept asking Ryan for one more minute before we left for dinner so I could watch the hues in the sky change a little bit more before it all slid into darkness. And as they did, I thought how lovely it would be to sit in that very perch every single night and watch the shades shift.

Staying in the city meant the restaurant was actually in the very same building as our apartment. One quick jaunt through the parking garage landed us inside the front door of our dinner destination. And on our way back through to the elevator, we stopped at the full-service coffee shop conveniently located to the side of the apartment lobby. No commuting. No warming up the car. No fighting traffic and circling the block for a parking place. It was all right there. 

And when we arrived back in our little home-for-the-night, we discovered the breathtaking night display of city lights. 

We sat on our little couch that evening, staring out the window, over the porch that was too cold to sit on, and declared that even though we don't think of ourselves as city people, there's a certain charm tied to a snowy night in the city. We loved our top-floor perch and our view of the lights and the canal. We  even loved getting up early the next morning to watch the sunrise scroll up over the city. Even though the brilliance faded by mid-morning, we still loved walking the sidewalks beside the canal. Runners suited up in extra layers glided around us and headed back to homes like we'd just come from, because this was their everyday. 

Snow and winter in the city had a certain charm to it. There was a joy in the quietness of it all for that night we were there. We were just far enough above the hustle and bustle that it seemed distant. We were just close enough to feel part of it.

But this time of year also always makes me think back to the days when we cared for Ryan's mom in her illness. She loved her log cabin in the woods, and she loved the snowy views it gave her. She was too sick that last winter to take her camera to the porch and grab the best shots, but she spent all the winters before capturing the woods, the birds, the lane, the cabin...in all its beauty. 

Warm winter glows under dark, country skies...

Tire tracks in the snow, coming down the lane...

Ice forming over the creek...

And one of my favorites she took...

There were no attached restaurants or coffee shops out at the cabin. There were no views from high perches. But there was so much beauty and quiet out there in the country. I remember when our nights stretched to midnight and one in the morning, and I'd quietly walk the cabin, waiting for Allen to come home. Ryan would tiptoe in to check on his mom and reposition her when she felt restless. And even in all the long hours, there was still something so beautifully calm about the country night under a blanket of snow. 

There were corners of cozy...

Those nights reminded me of my own childhood in the country, where you could see snow for miles, and everything felt quiet and safe, all tucked in by snow.

It's true: I love them both. I love the beauty of the city winters and the country ones. They both draw me, and I know that sounds strange. Most people are decidedly one or the other. I love a mix of them both. How about you? Which would be your winter pick?