“Jacquie hasn’t seen the sunrise all year.”
I had no comeback. Shamefully, this was a true fact.
Little did I know that this one sentence uttered by my slightly-mocking friend was about to [potentially] change my entire life.
For 40 years now, the struggle to get to bed at a reasonable hour has been just that — a struggle.
I’ve tried all kinds of games and challenges and slowly moving my bedtime up and just finally gave up. I’m just a night owl and I cannot change, I said.
But it was really starting to affect my life in a bad way. Feeling like you’re failing at life and waking up already behind day after day feels gross.
After over three years of having a job that allowed me to make my own hours, I was actually craving a regular schedule and self-discipline.
At first I intended to just get out for a walk once to prove I’d seen the sunrise and snap a photo with my phone. But my over-achieving, competitive self decided to work harder to make it stick, thus the 30-day challenge.
30 days, 30 sunrises, 30 photos.
Might not seem revolutionary to the average human but for this chica, it’s a wild attempt at getting my life back. Literally.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Okay, it’s time to up my game. No more cell phone snapshots, we’re bringing out the big lens and hopping in a car to find a good location instead of just walking.
It’s not much for composition, but these colours!!
Day 6
Well this is decidedly less exciting than yesterday. Turns out finding a good location in town is a serious challenge. But it’s still a win because I was up on time!
It kind of makes me think of Good Friday with the three crosses on a hill.
Day 7
I almost didn’t get out the door in time, and hadn’t planned ahead well enough, so it was a mad scramble to drive like a (safe) maniac to a few locations out of town. I can’t decide which one is the winner today, they’re all so different.
Love, love, love these colours!
Day 8
The colours were seriously underwhelming and drab, so I had to make my own fun!
Day 9
Trying to get interesting composition every day is quite the challenge! It requires a whole new way of seeing the world.
Day 10
I found this location with Google Maps. How did we ever survive without it?! 😉
Day 11
Probably the only time in the history of ever that the Big M wasn’t lit up. The town was dark for an hour for power upgrades.
Day 12
My car is getting quite the workout and I’m getting much better acquainted with the countryside.
Day 13
It’s just fascinating how quickly the light changes. These photos were just 32 minutes apart.
Also, I was determined to stay put this time and not keep looking around for something better. But right before the sun came up I foolishly thought I could get a better angle and missed the best time when the vapour looked like it was on fire. I’ll definitely be revisiting this spot.
Day 14
I had a slower start this morning, and had planned to stick around town, but when I saw all of the colours emerging, my car accidentally ended up at the beach.
I wish I had made it there 15 minute earlier to get all the pinks and purples, but for being my first ever beach sunrise photo, I’ll call it good 🙂
Day 15
Seventeen photobombers. The sky was clear when I left home about 45 minutes before this. What exactly are they doing and why aren’t more people asking questions?
Like seriously. This is really freaking me out. Those aren’t commercial airlines, my friends.
Day 16
Some days the sunrise is seriously lacking in inspiration so I’ve gotta find light sources elsewhere. But that’s okay — I was up!
Day 17
I learned a new technique called bracketing! It’s where you take several different exposures of the same thing and then in editing you can merge them together so one part isn’t blown out, or another isn’t so dark you can’t see it.
Magical!
Day 18
Not only did I make it to church at 8:15am, half an hour early for the first service — it took me 90 minutes to get there instead of the usual 30 because I took gravel roads almost all the way there.
I like gravel roads best because I can drive slowly and pull over whenever I want without fear of getting smacked by traffic.
Who knew the countryside was so delightful?
Day 19
Sometimes it’s okay to do the bare minimum and listen to your liver. When it’s in crisis, nothing else matters too much.
So instead of chasing the sunrise, I let it come to me.
Looks like the photobombers are back to work after a weekend off.
Day 20
Some days the sky gives me absolutely nothing to work with and it’s raining and gross.
You may call this a fail, but I call it art.
And the whole point of this is to get me early to bed and early to rise.
Therefore, this is a picture of success.
Day 21
Another dreary day in a weary body. They won’t all be like this. Nine more to go. I got this.
This little guy reminds me of myself — off doing his own thing, oblivious to the party on the other side of the pond. Some of us just enjoy solitude.
Day 22
Thinking outside the box (no pun intended). 😉
Day 23
Hello!!
Day 24
I just couldn’t resist another trip to the beach… that red glow just above the water, you’d never be able to see that in town!
Photos #4,000,000,000,000,001 to 4,000,000,000,000,004 of a lighthouse at the beach.
Day 25
Day 26
Another migraine day, not worth pushing myself… AI to the rescue!
Day 27
I’d like to say I actually took this, but no… another migraine day.
Day 28
Back out and about for a big push to the end!
Day 29
Day 30
It couldn’t have been a more dreary day for the grand finale, but there you have it — 30 days of sunrises!
Update: March 18, 2024 — As it turns out, one month of dedication is not enough to change hard-wired habits… I think I’ve seen the sunrise about 5 times since then, although I will keep trying. I’ll never look at the sky the same way again.
4 States in 1 Weekend