When I was younger, I was a night owl. I loved staying up until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and then sleeping until noon. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve learned to enjoy going to bed and waking earlier. So much so that I’m up at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday.

This morning, the rest of the house is asleep, and it’s just me with my dog on the couch. I have a steaming cup of coffee, and I’m typing this on my phone. The clock on the table is ticking, but that’s the only thing I hear besides my thumbs typing this blog post on my phone. It’s still dark outside; the streetlight is shining on wet pavement.

It’s weird because I live just off a pretty main drag in my town, and there hasn’t been a single car drive by at all since I got up thirty minutes ago and sat down with my coffee. It’s quiet, quiet, quiet this morning – a good time to sit with my thoughts and just be.

My life has changed so much since I was a young woman going out at 9:00 at night and sleeping the day away. I had a ton of fun back then, and I enjoy my life just as much now snuggling up on the couch with my love to watch “The Great British Baking Show” and then going to bed at 9:00 p.m. We both wake early for work, so it suits us. The routine is comforting.

It’s rare that I rise before he does, but today, my eyes opened at 4:45 a.m., and I was wide awake. Coffee beckoned, and I knew I wanted to write. There’s a peaceful solitude that comes from getting up before everyone else in your home. I never thought I’d be that person (hell, I never thought I’d be a lot of people!), yet here I am with my coffee and my dog and the ticking of the clock, appreciating every moment of stillness before my house awakens, and we get on with our day.

Isn’t life a constant surprise? Coffee cheers, and happy Saturday! No matter what time you get up.