I am a sucker for the idea of New Year’s. I love new beginnings and any opportunity to take on a fresh set of goals. Even though catastrophes tend to rudely ignore our Gregorian calendar, I like to pretend, at least for a little bit, that we actually have a clean slate ahead of us. And it helps that there’s usually a bang-up celebration with loved ones.
This year, however, parties aren’t possible. Bars will be empty, and many people will be spending the night at home…again. The evening will be unremarkable at best and disappointing at worst; it’s tempting to ignore the whole thing. I say, please do. Instead of dwelling on the winding down of a dismal year, here’s how to actually focus on the year ahead: Catch the sunrise.
I inverted New Year’s for myself at the start of this year, departing a small gathering of friends at 9pm on New Year’s Eve, and waking up at 5:30am the following day. It was still dark outside, which made it feel a bit like the remnants of the night before.
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