I don’t want to admit it to myself, but I love routine. One of my favorite parts of travelling is coming home because it renews my appreciation for the small moments of my day: my pour over coffee, the silk pillow case I sleep on, evening dog walks. On our recent trip to France, I paused my daily writing practice. It wasn’t intentional; I was just swept away in the moment. But it was good to allow myself to get distracted because I’m coming back with a renewed enthusiasm.
While I work on my September recap, here’s a little piece that I’ve had sitting in my drafts. It’s a glimpse into how I spend my mornings before the chaos of the day seeps in.
6:45 My alarm goes off. Nobody moves, not even me.
7:00 After two snoozes (no more than that) I get out of bed. As I put on my robe, I look over my shoulder. Most mornings, Quinn has already slipped into my still-warm spot and is holding Francine against his chest. They breathe synchronously while GG snoozes in her preferred spot, on her bed on the floor.
7:01 I tuck GG in with a blanket because the mornings are cold. And then, as I trudge into the kitchen, I think about how Quinn and I wanted dogs because we thought they would turn us into morning people, but instead all they’ve done is make it harder to get out of bed.
7:15 GG usually joins me at this point in the morning, when I’ve started preparing the coffee. She comes and rubs her snout against my pants and looks at me with her beautiful brown eyes and wags her tail. I lean down and whisper in her ear that she is a good girl. I’m very vulnerable in the time just after waking up, and sometimes my love for my dogs overwhelms me in these quiet morning moments. I don’t know; I can’t explain it.
7:20 I wash my face and do a little bit of skincare. I started using the Facial Recovery Oil from Eminence (just two or three drops mixed into moisturizer) and it has made my skin perfectly hydrated and almost completely clear from hormonal acne. I can’t wait to put it on every morning!
7:30 When I return to the kitchen, GG is sitting elegantly, waiting for me to serve breakfast. I willingly oblige. They eat kibble mixed with fresh dog food, which a friend is preparing for us on a subscription basis. Francine is a notoriously picky eater, so we will do literally anything to up her calorie intake. She may or may not emerge from the bedroom when she hears breakfast is served.
7:40 I make myself warm water with lemon, which has also helped clear acne.
7:45 Coffee.
8:00 I sit down to write. I usually warm up with a journal entry, which can be anywhere between five sentences and a whole page. Recently, in my writer’s workshop, we talked about journaling not as a way to remember specific moments, but specific feelings. Instead of writing a scene from memory, I’m trying to document images and sounds that have stuck with me. It’s hard to resist the urge to simply record. When I dig a little deeper, and find a viscerally significant moment from the day before, it feels like a much more honest representation of life.
8:15 I’m off and away on whatever writing project I’ve picked for the morning: a Substack post, a short story, or my novel.
8:30 The sun peaks over the mountains (see above) and floods the living room with light. As someone who is decidedly Not A Morning Person, this is the moment when I begin to feel ready for the day. I see the sun, and I think, “Okay, we can do this.”
9:00 I start yelling at Quinn to get out of bed, and then we scramble to get ready, because I’ve spent too long writing and now we’re running late, like always.
I feel like I was there with you - the cold morning, the pups and slowly gearing up for the day!
I love your posts. And you! Beautiful Ellen 😘