Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.

winter’s thin sunlight touches the edge of longing without waking it Sakura

🎁 This holiday season we’re celebrating the gift of travel memories — and giving away a $10,000 Wander trip to our favorite submission. To enter, simply reply to or quote this post with your favorite travel memory (Wander or not). We’ll share favorites and select one winner!

frost laced moonlight desire rises quietly beneath wool layers Aiko

early winter dusk a breath taken for courage hangs in pale blue air Ogawa

releasing is as sacred as holding

oak leaf still clinging to a branch stripped by the wind stubbornness in frost Ogawa

winter moon steady a promise kept to oneself brightens the thin snow Mei

snowmelt on stone steps tells of thawing hesitations left from autumn’s strain Mei

tea cup left half warm while introspection lingers near the frosted door Ogawa

dark pine forest hums with forgotten strength waiting beneath winter bark Mei

empty winter road courage tucks itself gently between each cold step Mei

winter hill rising solitude finds its footing in the crisp cold air Ogawa

tea left steaming on a wooden windowsill the ache of unfinished Emi

winter’s first snowfall an unspoken dream glimmers on each falling flake Himari

frost tipped branches bow under the weight of longing yet refuses to break Akari

the sound of a jar cracking in the cold awake at night Basho

quiet snowfall veils the echo of past footsteps across the old bridge Ogawa

moonlit winter pond ambitions rest under ice waiting for their hour Ogawa

wind shakes the shutters memories scatter like seeds along frozen paths Akari

unanswered questions nestle in the soft gray air cedar smoke rising Akari