I like to think that I’m a fairly hardened individual, as far as physical prowess is concerned. I have a very high pain threshold due to years of suffering from chronic migraines, as well as from the burden of growing up with two older brothers. These factors combined have helped to form me into a rough and tumble sort of girl. That being said, I am a total baby when it comes to facing the physical discomfort of winter time, even when I have modern HVAC technology at my fingertips. The cold, bitter air is one of the least pleasant physical sensations you could ever imagine. Every time the frigid breeze blows, slamming against your exposed skin and cutting through even the heaviest layers of clothing, it feels like a million pin needle sticks. Every moment that you are not safely indoors, surrounded by temperature controlled air delivered straight from the furnace feels like torture. Waking up and having to emerge from your warm bed in favor of the cold ambient air around you is brutal. Running to the thermostat to bump up the air temperature in the morning is a desperate flight, and it will take hours for your heater to make a substantial difference in the overall house temperature. Every time you have to go to your car, you can expect to be frozen solid in the subzero temperatures as you scrape ice off the vehicle. In short, winter is a brutal and unforgiving season, and even the best central heating only marginally improves the experience.
