I never quite understood the meaning of the phrase, "The early bird gets the worm!" until I had to wake up at 3:45am every morning for a week. I always thought that "early" meant 6am, or even 5am, but compared to 3 in the morning, those hours felt luxurious. This summer, I had the very fortunate opportunity to shadow an executive producer of the daily news broadcast show, Good Morning America, for a week. The show is from 7-9am, but I had to be at the studio by 5am, every morning, ready to watch and learn the makings of the show.
Contrary to on of the Big Apple's most famous phrases, "The city never sleeps," I realized that walking through Times Square at 4:50am, although the city may not truly sleep, there is a certain silence that encompasses one of New York's busiest areas. Even though the billboards are illuminating, there are barely any cars driving on the streets, let alone people walking around.
Recommended for you
Yes- it was a bit of a struggle for the first day or two, having to wake up earlier than I had ever experienced. However, as the week progressed, I became comfortable with my 8pm-4am sleep schedule, and developed a nice, relaxing routine during the day. My work was done by 10am, and as I was leaving the studio (and also a second breakfast), most people were rushing to their office or had just settled down an hour prior. My day was done while others had just begun, and that is not something that many New Yorkers can share. It felt extremely liberating to experience the city during an hour that not many people are awake for, and to see the city operate in silence- an occurrence that is unfamiliar, but surprisingly, very inviting.
I challenge everyone to commit to waking up at, what may seem like an ungodly hour of the night, a little earlier than their regular routine. Nothing beats the serenity of the city before the hustle and bustle awakens the lively beast. Although New York City is one of a kind and very energetic, with everyone on their own schedule, busy, and always having places to be, the feeling of accomplishing something before most have started their day and observing your surroundings is very special.
