I don’t have classes on Wednesday so instead of wasting the day away I decided to carpe diem and do something I had never done before. 

In Edinburgh there’s a towering cliff called Arthur’s Seat that was formed by volcanic activity tens of thousands of years ago.

I’d been up once before over the weekend and the 360 degree view of the city was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

But simply being up there wasn’t enough for me.  I wanted more.  I knew that it would be crowded at sunset, but what about sunrise? 

Last night I looked up sunrise times for Edinburgh (7:09), set my alarm for 5:40, and went to bed ready to hike up Arthur’s Seat to watch the sunrise. 

I met my friend Jane at the base and we began the not-so-long hike up together. 

Even from the beginning the hint of light over the horizon was stunning.

We got to the top at about 6:45 so we were able to sit back, take silhouetted photos, and watch the sun come up over the horizon in peace.

After the whole sun had risen, we headed back down the mountain to continue our days.

It was the perfect way to start a day, and I’m so glad I took the opportunity to do that so early in the year, because I know that won’t be the only time that I’ll do that hike.