Updated December 4, 2023
Let me take a moment to be honest here: I am not, and never will be, a morning person.
I’m one of those people who looks at the clock at 1am and thinks “oh, I should probably go to bed, but I’m right in the middle of something and am getting so much done!” Many days I think I'll get up and be productive the next morning, but somehow it just never seems to happen.
But one thing I’ve learned in the last few years is that when I’m traveling I actually prefer to get up earlier.
I love the feel that new places have in the morning. Everything is fresh, new, and full of possibilities. I'm sure morning people would say that every morning feels that way, but I know for a fact they’re wrong about that. :-)
When you're traveling to popular places morning is the best time to be out. It's when the markets are open, when most people aren’t out yet, and when you can see normally crowded places with just a few other intrepid early risers.
All those things you can’t get a view of after about 10am because there are people standing in front of you? They’re wide open at 7am and waiting for you to discover them.
I'll admit, there are times when I'm traveling that I come back more tired than I should be because of frequent short nights. A couple weeks ago I was in Punta Can and I got up around 5:15am each morning because I didn't want to miss a sunrise. By the end of the week I wasn't really ready to go home, but I was ready to be someplace where I didn't feel like I was missing out if I wasn't up before the sun!
Even when it leaves me tired, I've never regretted getting up early when I'm on vacation. Each time there has been something I know I would have missed had I stayed in bed.
If you normally think vacation is a great time to sleep in, try getting up early one day. See what things look like before the hustle and bustle begins. It may only take one time to convince yourself to be a travel morning person.