I can feel myself slowing down already.

It's been almost three months since I moved out to the West Coast.

Behind me are the up-till-5 AM weekends (3 AM on weekdays), crowded and smelly subways, and that constant Every Second Must Be Productive feeling that I used to have.

I haven't abandoned my old ways completely, of course. Every once in a while, I have to take a crowded and smelly bus. And I still have inklings of ESMBP.

But at least I've been going to sleep earlier.

And more importantly, I've been waking up earlier too. That's probably one of the most significant changes in my life so far.

I've never been a Morning Person; I've always been a creature that craves sleep. Every chance I can get to close my eyes and drift into La La Land was golden. I'd hit the snooze button at least ten times before reluctantly getting up.

I sometimes even napped at my desk.

With this change in sleeping habits, I've discovered a new world. A world I used to call The Ungodly Hour. A world others have called The Morning.

Waking up early in The Morning can be fun!

The sun is just rising and the world is just beginning. There's a yellow-orange haze over the streets. And the air is brisk and quick.

The drive through rush hour is an annoying but necessary evil that I can deal with. In fact, I almost relish the time I'm in traffic because I use those moments to collect my thoughts (or to listen to Howard Stern).

And once in the office, I notice with glee that I'm one of the first. The coffee is fresh, there are still plenty of cups in the kitchen, and the morning fruit and bagels are delectable.

Then I plow away at my emails. It's a time-honored tradition that checking one's email first thing in the morning is a must. Who knows when you'll get another chance to.

By the time I finish with my emails, the rest of the office files in. And as they're checking their emails, I'm already plowing away at my work (which satisfies my ESMBP needs).

Okay, so maybe I haven't really slowed down much. So maybe the opening line of this ramble is a lie. But at least the title is correct.

. . .

Are you a morning person?