June is the most pivotal month of this sunrise journey. By now the lilacs are fully in bloom, the grass is greening and the trees are beginning to bud. Finally, a month without a below freezing sunrise.

At my nearest sunrise spot, Shiras Park, this time of year, I can see the subtle difference in growth in the buds from one morning to the next as I an intimate relationship with that location.

The most pivotal part of June is the summer solstice, and the earliest sunrise of the year. In 2019, it felt monumental to get to, and through, the earliest sunrise of the year. It took a month for sunrise to become routine, but it took 6 months for me to identify as a morning person, and it wasn’t until I got through my first round of June sunrises.

The earliest sunrise here in Marquette is 5:55 a.m., which is not nearly as early as being on the Eastern side of a timezone.

I have learned that I am now eager for those early sunrises. It feels like there is an entirely new part of the day I get to live in before having to address the business of the day. I cherish those hours before the shop opens.

Additionally, it feels like the ultimate luxury to have woken up earlier every day for six months, and then to reach the milestone that I now get to sleep in an additional 30-60 seconds each day, if I choose.