Morning Person

Recently I have been reflecting on all the lifestyle changes I have had while abroad, especially which ones have impacted me the most, and which I might even want to continue even after my time here is done. Overall, life here has been pretty different from how it used to be in the states, especially in terms of time.

Usually, back in the states, my day was determined by my class schedule and work. These two factors would determine when I woke up, when I would eat, sleep, and go out, so basically everything. So if class was late, then I would wake up late, and sleep late and vise versa, basically I often never woke up before 9am and fell asleep at midnight.

However, this is no longer the case, the biggest factor determining my time management here is the schedule of lunches. Basically, our host families eating times also determine our own, because if we don’t eat with them, then we don’t eat period. Now, this sounds like a harsh change, but I have actually found it very nice! Refreshing even.

Both my families in Mushullakta and Pintag ate lunch at 7am. In Pintag, I would wake up exactly at seven since I could just walk downstairs and eat, but in Mushullakta I have found that I need an extra twenty minutes to be ready to eat. The custom here is really large portions for practically every meal, and I have found that it is quite difficult to finish the place right after waking up, since I tend to not be that hungry. So recently, I have been setting my alarm at six forty am in order for me to have enough time to be hungry for breakfast.

This was difficult for me at first, since I was still getting used to the environment, which made me more tired than usual. However, now I have acclimated to the schedule and my body has been naturally waking up at around six am every morning, and let me say, life is so much more productive when I do so.

Waking up earlier means that I foremost, enjoy my meals more, but it also means I have more time to do more things, leading me to be more productive, occupied and generally satisfied with what I do. I hate to say it, but being here was made me into a morning person! I never thought the day would come, but it has.

Obviously, I am aware that this lifestyle is only possible due to the structure of my study away program, and the coordination of the class agenda and the host families. All of which will no longer present after my time here is done. However, I will definitely make it a priority to try to keep my lifestyle going, and I am excited to see what other possibilities there are for when I apply it in the states.

I don’t have any pictures to prove that I have become a morning person, but I have been in nature a lot. So I will attach an image of an ancient tree, and a picture of this monkey couple I spotted while I was coming back from an excursion in Tenna, hope y’all enjoy!