Back when I worked aboard vessels, we stood 12-hour watches. I absolutely loved the night watch; my favorite was from 0100 to 1300.
Night watch is typically the most difficult, as it is late, quiet, and no one is around. I would come up to relieve the previous watch, my coffee in hand, turn over the watch, and either do the rounds or stay on the bridge with the officer of the watch. Working in Alaska with long daylight hours, things were different. As I came on watch, the sun was just setting, and shortly after, the sun would come right back up again. There is nothing quite like enjoying a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise.
Yes, on those mornings, it was about the sunrise and the coffee.
But it was also about the short period of shared dusk and dawn, where the sun barely snuck below the horizon before it came back up again.
It was about the few aurora borealis skies with neon greens, yellows, and, one time, the dark reds and purples.
It is about the gulls, the dolphins, and the occasional orca or humpback whale.
It was about killing time with the officer of the watch by either connecting over sea stories or standing together in complete silence.
It was about the salt water and fresh air.
It was about the start of a new day and, though the sun was always the sure thing, each day was different.
Since coming shoreside, I have often thought about those mornings. No mornings start better than they used to on the bridge, coffee in hand, sunrise coming up over the horizon.
Some mornings have come close. Like a cup of camp coffee by a bonfire on a bikepacking or camping trip. Or enjoying some local brew while walking around a city that is not yet awake.
I decided that it would be possible to recreate these mornings on a regular basis. It wouldn’t take much, just some coffee and some sunrise.
With that, I started Sunrise Coffee Club! It is a casual Cleveland-based meetup that gets together once a month and enjoys, yes, you got it, sunrise and coffee!
I can honestly say that, while this is still in its infancy, it has the workings of these memorable mornings.
Yes, it is about the sunrise and the coffee.
But it is also about the dawn, when the sun is not even up yet.
It is about the gulls, the mallard ducks, and the blue heron.
It is about the “mornin'” hello and nod to the amateur photographer staging his shots.
It is about the lake and its flat calm or light chop.
It is about the wind, the driftwood, the skyline, and the fresh air.
It is about the sun as the sure thing, the start of a new day, and taking a little sliver of it for yourself.
You should try it sometime. Everyone is welcome.