day four // view a winter sunrise and get out of seasonal monotony

If you are just starting to read these posts and are wondering why I am doing something as a "first" for each day of the year, you can read more of the story and background HERE. 

Day Four// View a Winter Sunrise And Get Out of Seasonal Monotony

Cost: Free

Time: 15-20 Minutes

If you have been around the blog for a little while then you know that I love a summer sunrise. It is not unusual for me to get up extra early to view the beauty in the morning at the cabin and to rest in that beauty. 

As I thought about a first for this year though I realized I had never woke up early to see a winter sunrise. Even as an early riser it is unlike me to want to leave the house when it is freezing out in the morning. But as I kept looking out at my window in the morning as I prepared for the day the sunrises looked stunning. 

So I picked a morning, got up extra early, and headed out to watch a winter sunrise.

It was freezing y'all. 1 little degree and I had to start giggling that the morning I chose ended up being the coldest morning throughout that entire week. 

I drove over to a place where I could see the mountains and the sunrise... and it was chilly... and absolutely stunning. As I sat sipping my hot tea and watching the morning colors brighten the sky I was in awe... and energized.

This was a first that was beautiful, simple, and honestly took a total of about 15 minutes. Sometimes I hear from people when they hear what I am doing this year that they don't have the time to do something like that. They tell me that the time to do something new each day just doesn't work for their schedule. I get it. Life can be incredibly busy, but most of these firsts don't take a lot of time and I hope that can encourage you on your own adventures if you are concerned about that!

For me this first was absolutely invigorating. While I didn't look forward to heading out so early in the cold, I was stunned at the beauty and energized by doing something so simple to start the day off. As the rest of the winter continued I often thought of that morning and the beauty that surrounds us in all different seasons. I found myself slipping out many mornings 15-20 minutes earlier than I use to leave to go to walk, just to see the beauty of winter sunrises. It is something I definitely plan to continue.

This first was a simple but beautiful encouragement to get out of the "seasonal monotony" that I realized I can fall into. Sometimes the best adventures can happen when we try something that "we always do" in one season in a different one. 

Tips for Creating Your Own First Related to This:

*Brave the cold and go view a winter sunrise. There is something stunningly beautiful about seeing a sunrise in the winter versus the summer.

*Consider "seasonal monotony items" that can be transferred to a different season for a first. For example do you always only go on vacation during the summer? Plan a trip for the Winter. Always go on a cruise on Spring Break? Try a cruise in the winter.