lifting weights at the arctic ocean and other highlights of the day

we woke up in our perfect little two-person cabin to snow blistering all around us, while we lazed in our warm bed with windows all around. the cabin is so tiny that i resolved to unpack and organize our belongings in a reasonably efficient way, or else we would spend the entire stay overrun with our luggage and clothing. the before and after was dramatic and satisfying—a lovely gift to future us. 

a couple hours later, we went to the local gym, which was surprisingly robust for a remote village of a thousand people. they had a swimming pool, basketball court, hot tub, and sauna, in addition to the weight room. and the view! it was located right on the coast, with treadmills right in front of the giant windows that showed dark arctic waters and a few mountains beyond. five of us had come together to work out, two of whom ended up spending the session as my boyfriend's newest gym protégés. it was helpful and inspiring to see their form improve so much so quickly under his direction. it was also heartwarming to see how much they also enjoyed his coaching. another highlight of the gym excursion: since my boyfriend was teaching others, i ended up moving on to my own exercises, self-directed this time, as opposed to boyfriend-guided like every other time. i felt confident and comfortable executing my bench press protocol, but i felt like i floundered when i did my deadlift. even so, it felt good to run through it all on my own; when he's available, i tend to lean on my boyfriend's eye rather than my own proprioception in evaluating my form. 

after dinner—we were on cooking duty—we were pleasantly exhausted and hopped right in the sauna, then into the big giant hot-tub that's the size of a pool as the snow continued all around us. we got back in the hot tub later when it was near-empty of others, and i floated on my back as my boyfriend's hands supported my gently from underneath. the hot water, gentle support, and willing surrender combined to allow me to relax more fully than i have in recent memory. though my body was submerged including my ears, my face was still above water and thus was gently bombarded with snow flurries as a floated, and a grin never left my face. 

now we're back in our cabin. my boyfriend is sleeping sweetly next to me, as i fight the sleepiness myself to write this post. the snow has finally died down outside. and now i'll go to sleep, too. 

my view as i rested between sets at the gym