World’s End
Over the course of the last four-ish years, beach sunrises have become a common practice in my life. Sometimes it’s in the form of an early morning run that ends at Johnny Mercer’s Pier. Other times, a beach sunrise was the perfect mental palate-cleanser to a late night studying in the library. More recently, my final Wilmington-to-Massachusetts road trip began with a teary-eyed beach sunrise.
These beach sunrises are great reminders that no matter what happened the day before, we are given a new day with its own beautiful beginning every twenty-four hours. I like to think of beach sunrises as the bookends of our days, a sort of real-life refresh button.
Since moving back to suburban Boston, I have seen far fewer beach sunrises. Last Tuesday, I woke up to an incredible sunrise in my own neighborhood. The scene from my bed reminded me of all my Wrightsville sunrises, and I thought, this would be so much better at the beach. That morning, I decided that an early-morning weekend drive to the ocean was in order.
The days that followed were long and really wore me out. By the time Friday night rolled around, I made absolutely no plans other than a date with my bed at 9:30 sharp. Before bed, I looked up the time the sun would rise in the morning. It would come up at 7:11. Knowing my body really needed sleep, I decided that I’d go to bed without setting an alarm, and if I woke up in time, I’d drive to World’s End in Hingham for the sunrise, about a 50 minute drive.
Nine hours later, I wake up at 6:22 — almost exactly 50 minutes before sunrise. I run around my house gathering everything I’d need — hat, gloves, scarf, boots, four layers of clothing — my suit of armor against the bitter New England winter. I hop in the car, put on my Spotify playlist, and drive off into the still, black morning.
The next twenty-to-thirty minutes are spent navigating the dark, empty highways of Southeastern Massachusetts. I get off the highway somewhere in the Quincy/Braintree area, as the rest of my trek will be on back roads. As I get closer to the coast, the sky brightens. I quickly realize that I will be viewing this sunrise from my car, which is still better than missing it completely. By the time I make my way down winding Martin’s Lane the sun has fully risen, but the view was just as beautiful.
Biting air greets my face as I get out of the car. It’s a lot colder on the water than it was when I left my house, and the cold air infiltrates my trusty suit of armor. After about 15 minutes walking up the wooded trail, I decide it’s best to head back to the car.
I drive into Hingham Center and discover a cool coffee shop called Brewed Awakening. I order a latte, and with this cup of warm rejuvenation, decide to check out a few beaches in nearby Cohasset.
I drive up Jerusalem Road, passing some of the nicest houses I’ve ever seen, and wondering about the people who used to live in them. Between the houses, I catch the occasional glimpse of the ocean
I find a small pulloff to park the car and get out and walk along the beach. The hot coffee numbs the sting of the winter air. After walking around for a bit, I return to the car and begin driving home. The sun is shining, the sky is bright blue, and 95.5 is on a roll with upbeat tunes.
I’m home by 9:30am already feeling like I’ve experienced an entire day. Although Boston’s south shore has a different vibe to it than my beloved Wrightsville Beach, it is still a beautiful place to explore, reflect, and enjoy.
Out of all the habits I could have picked up in college, I’m glad that making beach sunrises a priority is one that stuck with me. Life can feel so routine and so mundane at times, that it’s important to remember that there is a beach sunrise every morning. I plan to make more trips to World’s End and Jerusalem Road to catch as many of those sunrises as I can.
