Like it or hate it, winter is at least good for one thing.

Winter is rough. I won’t argue that. Ice, snow, cold-bitten fingers and noses, and dark, dreary days all come with the territory where I live. However, I love winter. Winter is my time for dreaming.

I won’t lie and say winter is my favorite season, but I’ve found I still love it. Spring, summer, and fall are when I can chase my dreams, but winter is when my dreams are born. I’ve put together a list (yes, another one,) of reasons winter is the perfect time for dreaming.

1- Going outside isn’t as much of a draw. Winter weather is the perfect excuse to stay at home and not go anywhere. Who can blame you for wanting to stay inside when the roads are treacherous and it is cold enough to turn you into a human Popsicle? Stay home and dream.

2- What is better dream food than a nice warm cup of hot chocolate? Add some freshly baked cookies, a blanket, and when possible, a nice crackling fire in the fireplace, and you’re set.

3- It’s quiet. I don’t remember the exact science behind it, but snow really does muffle sound. Less sound can mean less distraction and better concentration. Your dreams can speak and be heard.

4- A blank sheet of snow is an invitation to create. Each time I look out my window at the perfect white blanket of newly fallen snow, I can’t help thinking of a blank piece of paper just waiting for a picture or story to grace it. It speaks of countless possibilities. It is so easy to dream about what could go there.

5- The magic of anticipation. In the winter, the world is waiting—waiting for spring, waiting for growth, waiting for adventure. In the winter, you know something good is just around the corner. Now is the time for you to dream about what it could be.

I adore spring, and autumn has its own special charm. Summer is just plain fun, but winter can be magical. It’s the time to reflect and dream about all you can do with the other seasons. Plan out the garden you want to plant in the spring. Dream of the vacation you will go on in the summer. Make a collection of recipes you want to cook or bake in the fall. Make up a story or poem. Sing your own songs. Dream of the possibilities, and then, when winter is over and spring begins to wake the world, go out and live the dreams so you have room for new ones when winter comes again.

What do you like to dream about in the winter? What is your favorite thing about winter?