Globe Corner Blogs

Two things you notice about Ohio when you visit the countryside are the sounds and the light. Coming home from a big city, the contrasts are stark.

Sometimes the lack thereof is enough to remind you where you are.  When I lay in bed at night I hear nothing but the ringing in my ears, the speedy rewind of the day’s incidental noises. My apartment in Boston is not in a loud part of town, but this is a different kind of quiet. This is the kind of silence that makes you think about yourself and your family, sleeping in the bedrooms below you, whether you want to or not. A snowplow scrapes along the road and I’m startled awake.

The light is silent in its own way at night, gone from every door crack and blind slat. The room is pitch black in a way you never knew pitch could be. Even the winter clouds outside obscure the stars. In this place far away from any town, the darkness blindfolds you and taunts you when you try to move about. Without sight the other senses feel muffled too, and I prefer to just stay safely in bed, avoiding stubbed toes and bruised shins.

Daylight comes and when I venture outside in a gentle snow, camera tucked carefully beneath my scarf, the noise is remarkable. While loud, especially in comparison to the night, the sounds maintain a quiet sense: wind rushing through the tall boughs of pine trees, the piff of snow falling from a ledge or branch onto snow below, that particular crunch of snow beneath my boots. The wind ruffles grasses and tall weeds, all brown now in their winter camouflage. I’m convinced I can hear the flakes hit my hair.

Now the light – it’s blinding. Despite the cloudy skies I find myself squinting full-faced when I first leave the house. The open stretches of untouched snow are beautiful and so white; I forget to adjust my camera to accommodate for the glare and am disappointed with purplish-gray photos. I’ll remember well enough.

Read more: Ohio, Outdoor Recreation, Travel


Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.

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