If you ask someone to picture a 5:00 am wake-up, most people will cringe and say "no way." If you ask me, I would say "absolutely, I love it."

Most people look at me and ask why I like it so much. So, as an answer to the many times, I have been asked this question over the years, here is why I intentionally get up at 5:00.

I am most definitely a morning person. I love mornings so much more than nights. I would much rather spend my time in the morning than I would go out at night. Basically, I have to be convinced into going to parties simply because I get sleepy around 8:00 at night and tend to get really giggly if I am overly tired. But I will gladly wake up in the wee hours of the morning.

At 5:00 am, the world is quiet. Most often, I will hear third shift workers or birds. But the majority of people are still comfortably curled in bed, sleeping. My favorite part of waking up early is this quiet. I love the calm, noise of nature, lack of movement and sounds of everyday life. The morning is my little slice of time that seems slow moving.

It is a pause from the hustle and bustle.

It is a pause from responsibility.

It is a pause from society.

At 5:00 am, if you go outside, you might pass a few others who are crazy like you, but that is about it. I like to go for walks with my bunny (if it is warm enough) or runs around this time. Part of it is I tend to have more energy in the mornings, but I also really appreciate being outside when the sun comes up.

I love getting home and having the full day ahead of me, already having experienced some time outdoors. And, truthfully, I love running in the morning because then people cannot see me. As someone who struggles with body image issues and shame, running when the world is asleep is a time for me to focus on what my body can do without feeling like I am being watched or judged for my speed, shape, etc.

At 5:00 am, you see the world from a different perspective. Although the signs of society are still there (buildings, roads, cars, etc.), I get a small glimpse of the world removed from what we have made it. There is something really lovely, at least to me, about watching the world happen.

It makes me feel very small, in a good way. It reminds me that there are so many more, for lack of a better word, things out there than the problems in my life. It reminds me that, although whatever is going on in my life feels super important or like it is all there is, the world is so much more than this one event.

For me, 5:00 am means quiet, calm, perspective. It is the time for me to be with me (and my bunny). It is a time for thinking and watching. It is a time removed from the action, when being is simply enough.