What Inspires You?

I received a text from my roomie the other day apologizing for The Morning Grumps, in which she additionally noted "I wish I was a morning person like you!" Sometimes my day-to-day operates in such tunnel zone Autopilot that I forget the uniqueness of each individual (hello... egocentric self.) ;) Do I like mornings? Yes. But I forget mornings are not everyone's Thing. It's like when you grow up doing pizza & Chinese on Sunday nights, so you naturally believe it's the foundational tradition of every family... Only to find that some families do Mexican or others don't do anything; each one to their own routines establishing who they are.

I see you sun!

For as long as I can remember, mornings have been my source of Inspiration. Living in a Spanish culture of contrast revealed this soul-giving time like nothing else could - this margin of the day when my thoughts were set free and my spirit could settle. I remember 9am walks in El Parque Magdalena watching lights flicker on the interior of apartments in the distance, feeling as though I was witnessing magic; imagining I was the only one awake to gaze upon the earth returning to life.

Walks to Heritage and occasional stops for pie at a neighborhood fave.

Although I pass people on the street at 6am in Chicago, the night still lingers before the morning passes through. The sun arises as a new day brims and hope seems tangible. Now that it's spring, the possibilities seem more fervent. I awake to an early morning alarm to set off for a lakefront run or brisk walk to Heritage Coffee. Spring, oh spring... glimmers of warmth fill the earth as thawed bones are restored to life.

Sunrises over the Lake. I love you Chicago.