Good morning

Usually, the month of December is when the real cold begins here in Romania. The end of January is usually the coldest. I must admit that I love the cold, and btw I was born at the end of Jan 30, something years ago. Direct exposure to sub-zero temperatures, usually by immersion in cold water, can shatter the habitual mode of perception. Once you get in, time slows down. Hyperventilation adrenaline kicking in, all these involuntary physiological processes triggered all at once, your body signaling to your mind "panic" while your mind responds with "patience." Cold showers do that, too, but nothing like an immersion in a frozen pond or river for 5 min. On one particular occasion, I was freezing in the middle of winter, walking with my girlfriend somewhere in a village in Transylvania. We crossed a river, and she said something like, I bet you 100e that you won't dare stay in that water for 2 minutes. I turned to her, are you serious? - Yeah! So, I got down, took all my clothes out, and skinny-dipped in the river bed, fully immersed. I stayed there 3 minutes, and when I got out, my body was red and felt warm. I put my clothes on and headed back to the cabin. She was speechless for a moment, then turned to her, "you could've tried it; it was quite nice." That cold bath strangely warmed me up. Our bodies have adaptive capacities that we have no clue about. The same goes for our minds.