It’s now 5:42AM.

I used to be an early riser even when I was a kid. My wife even knows me as in early rise because she would still be sleeping and I would have to drag her out of bed for breakfast because I was hungry.

Over the past year back in Hawaii, I lost my morning routine. I no longer woke up early to read, write, or reflect while drinking my coffee. The roles flipped where my wife would be out of bed before me.

“You’re not a morning person anymore,” she told me.

That was an insult. I was always a morning person. I felt better about myself waking up early, getting the day started and mentally and physically prepared. The best part I love about morning is watching the sun rise. I feel guilty for not taking advantage of this because my home is only a 5 minute walk down from the beach.

I miss the writing, the quietness, and the open space.

Back to My Morning Routine

Today is my first day back into my morning routine. It’s a familiar feeling like a reunion with an old friend or a taste of your mother’s banana bread you haven’t tasted in awhile.

I can hear the light rain outside the window as my coffee brews and the dark roast permeates through the kitchen. The birds outside are chirping in the trees. Silence.

I haven’t planned anything to do for the day, I wrote it down last night. I’m simply being in the moment of the morning and reconnecting with a lost old friend.

Hau’oli Kakahiaka (Good morning).

Here are some inspiration to find your morning routine and become an early riser:

Aloha and A hui hou.