I'm a graveyard shift worker. My ride to work has light, but coming home between 3am and 6am it is pretty dark, and damned cold. My coldest commute home so far this year was -17oF, not sure of the windchill.
A good light is a must!! I'd sacrifice one of my brakes before I'd give up my light.
And always have a backup plan. At any given moment I can walk 1.5 miles to a bus stop and wait for the metro transit.
As for motivation, just look at all of us "yankees" and tell yourself that no self respecting southern boy will ever be one-upped by a northerner, nor will he eat a chicken any other way thatn fried!
CrosseyedCrickt <-- Former Kentuckian