I went alpine camping for a week once (Tasmania), and crossing a stream, the water was so cold it was physically extremely painful. But others in the group didn't mind as much, so I decided to adjust to it.
At the end of the week, I was swimming in the water for half an hour, and it didn't bother me at all. A tremendous sense of elevation.
While it does remind me of why are you hitting yourself in the head with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop, to defeat discomfort is somehow profoundly affirming of freedom and self-determination.
Your comment reminds me of my past winter up here in Minnesota. I bike to school, each and every day -- snow, rain... it got down to -20°F in January. And my experience is exactly the same as yours: I did it without a big down coat, without µfleece or anything high-tech: just a layer of thin wool and a layer of polyester. No GoreTex. Not even fancy socks.
People think that it'll be unbearably cold or simply intolerable without all the fancy stuff -- but you plunge in and your body adjusts so fast. You described it very well: FREEING.
At the end of the week, I was swimming in the water for half an hour, and it didn't bother me at all. A tremendous sense of elevation.
While it does remind me of why are you hitting yourself in the head with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop, to defeat discomfort is somehow profoundly affirming of freedom and self-determination.