you know, I've been bike commuting since 2005. This is my 5th year.
And my goodness, a lot has changed. In the early days, i was nervous all day because I knew I had to face the traffic and ride back up that hill. I had a lot more trouble with the temperature, dreading the heat dreading the cold.
But I've really changed. It's still not a cakewalk to go up the hill, but depending on my mood, I saunter up it, plod up it, or push up that hill. Used to be if the temperature was close to 40 degrees, i'd panic, it would be too cold. I got used to that too. I've discovered that even if my hands are cold (in my longfingered gloves) I'm going to be warm when I get to work.
This has spilled over to other parts of my life too. I don't suffer so much from the cold as I used to. (I still require lots of blankets at night) But when I'm out and about, I just don't need to be coddled as much.
Thought you guys would like to know. Hey, just one more week and it's bike to work month!