Sunrise, Sunset.

A long time ago, right here in this galaxy, I promised that someday I'd share bits of my bucket list with you. Today is the day that this promise begins to come to pass. On Thursday, I crossed number fifteen off of my list. It was only the second time I've gotten to cross something off and it filled me with a greater sense of accomplishment than was necessary or proper given the situation. Maddie watched in (fake) awe and wonder as I dramatically slashed a line across the ever-so-important document.

15. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day


My previous post about the sunrise was made possible by my first attempt to fulfill this bucket list item. I woke up bright and early on Monday and had a glorious experience watching the sunrise. However, Monday night, a storm rolled in and the thick black clouds blanketing the sky made it impossible for me to watch the sun go down. Tuesday morning, Maddie and I attempted to try again, but sleepily turned the alarm off when it rang at 5:15. On Wednesday, the clouds decided to make an early morning appearance, making the sunrise impossible to see.

Thursday was the day. Maddie and I woke up early and the clouds decided to (mostly) cooperate. The sunrise was beautiful, but was a little harder to see, due to one stubborn cloud that had planted itself directly in front of the sun. This could have been irritating, but it actually enhanced the experience a bit, as we had more anticipation built up prior to actually seeing the sun. We watched the perimeter of the cloud get pinker and pinker until we finally saw a yellow arc peek out into the morning air. I watched the sunset later that evening from the back porch of our rented beach house. It was far less dramatic, but just as beautiful. I still can't decide which I liked better. The sunrise was spectacular and was the opening of a new day full of promise and wonder. The sunrise was just as beautiful and was a seal of approval on the memories and beauty of the day. Regardless, both experiences were amazing and helped me to better enjoy and appreciate nature. And it proved to me that, given the right scenery, waking up at 5:30 in the morning isn't all that bad.

Sunrise:

Sunset: 

(I know the power lines distract from the view, but this is the best I could do.)