Yesterday I spent more than an hour mounting snow chains on my car.

It was not because I did not follow the instructions. I did. I even watched a few YouTube videos before starting. In those videos it looks so easy that you start wondering why they even need to explain it. It looks like something you could do in a few minutes without thinking much about it.

Reality was different.

The hardest part was wrapping the chains around the wheels and connecting the locks. That simple looking step took ages. I had to use much more strength than I expected. My arms and fingers started to get sore. I got so hot that I ended up working in a T-shirt and broke out in sweat.

After a while it felt less like preparing the car for winter and more like a workout.

The good thing is that these chains do not require a car jack, which surprised me. And I tell myself that if I practice mounting them a few more times, they will stretch a little and become easier to handle. At least that is what I hope.

When I was finally done, I felt like I had just come back from a heavy gym session. The struggle was real. Not funny. Just real.