Sunrise on campus...

31 January 2020: One of the most unexpected changes in my routine (and life) has been my voluntarily getting up and out earlier and earlier. The awful claim I've been hearing for years--that you get so much more done when you start your day earlier--is so, unfortunately. So that's been great in some ways.

But I also know that this early rising and getting to work is coming from a feeling of being unsettled, needing to get more done sooner, a kind of anxious restlessness. In some ways, it's a kind of direct rejection of that whole "balance" plan. I realized, after all, that I am going to lean into work (or at least writing) to get through this whole weird/rough patch. For better or worse, I guess.

Sometimes I think, "No, this is just another way of doing what you've always done but instead of staying up late, you are getting up early." That might be sort of true, but this feels very different. I don't think it's all good.

Yet occasionally, the unadulterated good slips in.

It is so basic and cheesy, I know, but as someone who has always loved a sunset, it's lovely to see the sunrise, its overly ambitious and reclusive sibling. This morning, it was so quiet and peaceful on campus when I stopped to snap these on my way to the office. I am thankful for that experience. I'll keep working on all the other stuff...