You take away the breath I was keeping for sunrise....

#4 - Watch the sunrise

There has always been something about a sunrise that intrigues me. Maybe it's the various hues of color that occur as the sun peeks out of the horizon. Possibly the thought of seeing a natural occurrence of nature happen before my eyes. Or maybe sunrises are just cooler than sunsets. I'm not sure, but what I do know is that I had two instances in my life where I was able to watch the sunrise. And both were meaningful in different ways.

The first time I saw the sunrise, I was 18 years old. After my first year at college, I was home for the summer and offered to be my friend Joe's date to his senior prom. On top of looking absolutely hot and fierce, we were also spending the weekend down in Wildwood after the prom....it was the only time I went down the shore after any prom, including my own. The drive down was fun, in a car full of strangers (to me) and my best friend at the time. 

When we reached the motel and checked in, Joe, his friend Lauren, and myself were the only three left awake. With sunrise only minutes away, we decided to walk to the boardwalk and start off the weekend on a fun note. In our comfiest sweats and hoodies, the three of us strolled down the boardwalk, watching the hues of the sky change with every step. That moment was breath-taking, everything that I had hoped it would be. A moment shared with some good friends and sweet memories. That sunrise symbolized so much to me at the time: the end of my first year of college, a beginning to the rest of my life. 

Roughly 6 1/2 years later, at 25 years old, I experienced my second sunrise. On the way home from one of Matt's shows, I was driving over the Manasquan River Bridge at the wee hours of the morning. The gig the night before had been in White Plains, NY, which meant a late start (midnight), going into the wee hours of the morning (3:30 am). Matt was asleep next to me, my large cup of coffee nestled right in the cup holder. And there it was, as I crossed the bridge, those pastel hues of dawn. You know, I couldn't remember what song was on the radio or what I wore, but in that instant....I felt so strongly about seeing that sunrise and everything it symbolized to me.

From that first sunrise to the second one, so much had changed in my life. From college, to boys, to career choices, even my friends, everything was so different from what I thought my life would be. Yet it didn't matter, the sun would always come out for another day. There would always be another chance to make my life all that I dreamed of. That my life was not close to over, but merely beginning what I consider "the best part." Just that realization moved me to such tears....and I smiled, knowing wherever my story took me, the possibilities would be endless.

There will be other sunrises, I'm sure of this. And I'm also sure that when I see it, my life will be in a much different place than it was the time before. I can't wait to see what the next one brings. 

~Jenn