A Winter Day That Felt Like Summer in Istanbul

Today felt like a small trick of time. Just three days ago, Istanbul was wearing snow like a bright white coat. The cold was sharp, the streets were quiet, and everything looked clean and new. Even now, there are still little pieces of snow hiding on the ground, refusing to leave.

But this morning, the air had changed completely.

It felt almost like a summer day—maybe not warm like July, but soft and light, like spring was gently testing the door. The sky was cloudy, yet the blue color still showed clearly through the clouds. That fresh blue looked so clean, like the city had washed its face overnight. The air was crisp and pure, the kind that makes you breathe deeper without thinking.

I started the day with my mother. We went to my aunt’s house for breakfast. It wasn’t a fancy plan—just family, food, warm tea, and that calm feeling you get when you sit at a table with people you love. Breakfast in Türkiye has its own rhythm. You don’t rush. You sit. You talk. You eat slowly, and the day opens like a page.

After breakfast, I spent some time on their balcony, looking out and taking photos. These are the views you see in the pictures.

From up there, the city looked both peaceful and busy at the same time. Cars were parked below, the buildings stood close together, and the sky sat above everything like a quiet roof.

One thing I noticed immediately: there is a construction site right next door. The gray concrete, the crane, the unfinished floors—everything looked sharp and strong against the soft clouds. Construction always makes me feel a little strange. It’s noisy, messy, and sometimes stressful, but it also shows life moving forward. Someone is building something new. Someone is planning a future there.

Another thing that really caught my attention was the balcony design. Their building has those iron railings—open, dark metal bars, not glass. And honestly, those balconies scare me.

I know many people feel comfortable with them, but I don’t. For me, a balcony should have a solid wall or at least strong glass. Something that feels like a protective boundary. With open railings, my mind starts imagining worst-case scenarios. It’s not logical, maybe, but fear is not always logical. I can stand there for a moment, but I don’t relax. My body stays tense, like it’s waiting for something.

And then there was one balcony across and slightly below that made me pause even more.

It was messy—really messy. It looked cluttered, like storage, like unfinished cleaning, like chaos. Bags, random items, a crowded corner. What surprised me was this: I could tell people were living there. It wasn’t an abandoned place. There was a living flower on that balcony—something growing, something cared for. That contrast made my thoughts race.

A part of me felt uncomfortable, even stressed. Not because I want to judge anyone, but because I strongly believe that balconies reflect a home. A balcony is like the face of a house. When it’s clean, it feels open and peaceful. When it’s chaotic, it makes me feel unsettled. Maybe this is my personality: I connect “order” with “comfort.” And when I see disorder, my mind becomes noisy too.

Still, I kept looking, kept observing, and kept taking photos. Because even things that make us uncomfortable can be interesting. Sometimes they teach us something about ourselves.

A Rosebud in January

After we left my aunt’s place, my mother and I walked back home. Her house is close to ours—walking distance—so we didn’t need a car. We just walked slowly, breathing the air, watching the streets, noticing small details.

And then I saw it.

A rosebud.

A red rosebud, not fully open yet—just about to bloom.

Can you imagine? It’s January. Winter. Just a few days after snowfall. The weather had been freezing, the kind of cold that makes you want to hide indoors. And yet, there it was: a rosebud preparing to open, as if it didn’t get the winter memo.

That tiny flower made me genuinely happy. It wasn’t only the color, although the red was beautiful. It was what it represented: life continuing, quietly, patiently, even when conditions are not perfect. It felt like a message. Something like: “Don’t worry. Change is always happening.”

As we continued walking, I noticed another detail: small red berries hanging in clusters. I don’t know their name, but they were bright and vivid, almost like little drops of color placed on the branches. They looked strong against the winter background. There’s something magical about seeing red in the middle of gray season.

And then I noticed something else that felt even more “miraculous” to me.

Some trees were completely bare—no leaves, only branches. They looked dry, quiet, almost asleep. Right next to them, there were trees and plants that were still green, still full, still alive-looking. Side by side, you could see both worlds at once: winter and life, rest and growth, silence and color.

That contrast made me think deeply.

Just three days ago, the cold felt harsh and endless. It felt like we couldn’t even breathe outside comfortably. And now, we were walking easily, seeing blue sky, seeing green plants, seeing a rosebud that didn’t care about January.

How can the world change so quickly?

For me, this is one of the clearest signs of blessing. I see it as a gift from Allah—a reminder that He controls seasons, shifts, and balance. We experience both cold and warmth. We experience hardship and ease. Sometimes we forget how precious “normal” days are until we lose them. And when we get them back, even a simple walk feels like something sacred.

I felt grateful. Truly grateful.

Grateful for my mother walking beside me. Grateful for family breakfast. Grateful for clean air. Grateful for a city that can surprise you. Grateful for flowers, berries, and trees that show different faces of the same season.

On the way home, as we were getting closer to our building, I saw a fluffy white cat with a little bit of black on its fur. I couldn’t resist, so I gently reached out and tried to pet it for a moment, hoping it would stay. But it quickly moved away and ran off—like it was scared of something, or maybe it just wasn’t in the mood that day. Even so, that brief little meeting made me smile, like a tiny wild hello from the street.

By the time I came home, more than half of my day had already passed in this gentle rhythm: family, views, walking, noticing, thinking.

Now I’m back at home, and I wanted to collect these moments and share them with you through this post. Life is not always about big events. Sometimes it’s about small signs: a rosebud in January, a blue sky after snow, a quiet breakfast, a walk that turns into a lesson.

Today reminded me that seasons can change quickly—outside and inside us.

And maybe that’s the beauty of it.