I’m definitely a morning person and by that I mean I’m more productive in the daytime. I used to wake up with the Hawaiian sun shining through my bedroom window. (Doesn’t that sound like something out of a Disney cartoon!) I didn’t own an alarm clock until I moved to the Mainland (or Continental U.S.).
When I lived in (cloudy) Eugene, Oregon, I got depressed, but it took some time to figure out that I needed more light. I was used to keeping the lights off in an effort to save electricity. It took some time to appreciate the overcast skies of Oregon. But I’m one of those people that starts to get annoyed if the skies are cloudy for days…
I’m not an early riser, but I know that I’m more creative and alert with the sun. At night, I want to get in bed and read a book (which I do every evening). I love reading in bed. I’d read in bed all day if I didn’t like moving around, cleaning the house, cooking, and that sort of thing. I guess I’m too practical (and antsy) to just sit down all day.
On the other hand, the BF is undeniably a night owl. When I’m bedding down, he’s getting started. He’ll do all sorts of things like work on art, exercise, practice Thai (or whatever language he’s learning at the moment), or watch a movie. There was a time when he was up until three or four in the morning, which to me is insane.
I can barely stay awake when I go out at night with friends. I’m yawning when everyone else is ordering their next drink. If I know I’m going out then I try to nap during the day. Yes, I have to prepare myself! Everything feels different and I laugh over the fact that I’ve been known to say things like, “Wow, so this is what this place looks like at night!”
The BF argues that everything is quiet at night so he can get some work done. I know another night owl that says its cooler so he can go out without bursting into flames or searing his tender Canadian skin.
When I was living in Portland, Oregon, I worked for a popular retail company during the graveyard shift. This meant that I started work around two or three AM, sometimes, four, it depended on how much unloading we needed to do. We were a diverse group: moms and dads trying to make extra money, uni students, and our manager was a gay vampire. (This is Portland, after all…)
Everyone got on well. I think because it was shitty work, stocking the shelves and unloading trucks, so it didn’t matter what color, gender, or age you were – we obviously needed the money. I liked the job and I liked the people, but I couldn’t do the night owl schedule, so eventually, I had to quit. My body rebelled. It felt unnatural to go out when it was dark and go to bed when everyone was getting up.
Now, in all honesty, I don’t do well under the other extreme either. When I had to teach at six AM in Siem Reap, my body and brain wasn’t too pleased with that either. But when I was doing contract archaeology in my twenties, a long commute, and starting at six wasn’t a problem. I mean, I was tired and one time I accidentally hit the trailer I was living in with my car as I was backing out, thereby shearing off my side view mirror, but you know, I don’t remember it being such a grind.
What about you? Are you an early bird or a night owl?
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