This is the view from the top floor, just outside my door. There have been times when the only exercise I could really count on was climbing up and down four flights of stairs.

Sometimes I'll get to the bottom, realize I've forgotten something, then debate with myself. Do I really need it? Can I just buy a replacement? Can I ignore it all together? I have on occasion left without the item in question.

Taking out the garbage and the recycling feels like an accomplishment, though we often just do it when we're on our way out anyway. Still, that involves yet one more flight of stairs, down to the bottom of the courtyard/air shaft. I'm willing to pay the cost of the stairs though. Our apartment gets bathed in light from the south, street-facing windows, but also the east, courtyard/airshaft facing windows. I spend a lot more time enjoying the light (as do my plants) than I do running up and down stairs.

I have not always informed friends of the climb they face when they come to visit me the first time. I just do all I can to make it worth the trip. Food, no small amount of liquor, it helps.