On Ojika island, the sunrises are absolutely stunning. For the first month of my time here, I didn't often see the sunrise due to waking up after the sun was already shining in the sky. After waking up early a few times to see my friends off on the ferry as they left the island, I got to experience the stunning bright colors for the first time.
So, I was inspired to begin waking up before the sunrise most mornings, just because I feel that missing such a beautiful sight would be a wasted opportunity!
The sunrises vary greatly depending on the weather here, sometimes, on perfectly clear days the sunrises are bright and vivid, the various colors of fire splaying upwards from the horizon against the dark clouds - orange, pink, yellow, and red.
However, other days the sunrises are softer. The color of light blue and pink cotton candy shining out of wispy clouds and creating a peaceful atmosphere. Then, on other days the sky is a mass of grey clouds and the colors are hidden from view, and instead of the colors I focus on the birds flying above my head, the boats in the harbor, the sound of the water lapping against the shore.
On my morning walks I often come down by the ferry terminal since it's a perfect place in Ojika to see the sunrise. If you arrive around 7 AM you can watch the ferry to Hakata in Fukuoka make it's departure; there's something quite romantic about watching the giant ship disappearing behind a mountain with the backdrop of such a rainbow of colors. Also, watching the sunrise is excellent with a piece of bread from Coji Coji Pan, a tasty local bakery that opens at 6:30, before the sun comes up.
Beginning to go on walks here in the evening, and early morning has helped me embrace stillness. Too often in my life before coming here, I'd always be planning my life without any wiggle room. Strict deadlines, alarms that leave me only enough time to brush my teeth before I'm out in the world with things to do, and people to see.
Starting my day before everyone else, without anything pressing to accomplish for a full hour, free to let the chilly morning air wake me up and slowly ready me for the day, allows me to begin my commitments with a much clearer head.
It's made me understand that there's more to life than just zooming along, always trying to ready myself for the next step, always figuring out some sort of conundrum that my mind is spinning around in a neverending maze. Life can seem short, but an hour can stretch into a beautiful universe of it's own when I'm alone by the ocean with a vibrant palette of watercolors spilled over my head.
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