I’ve been waking up at 5:30am every weekday for so long that I can’t remember when I first set that ungodly hour on my iPhone. Just in case my body decides to stage a rebellion, I have a backup alarm at 5:45am, ensuring I don’t miss the joys of early morning consciousness.
I admit, I am a morning person. There’s nothing quite like the sheer relief of waking up and realizing you didn’t die in your sleep. The new day is filled with untold possibilities, and in Malaysia, surprisingly cool and pleasant mornings that make you forget you’re in a tropical country.
I rise early to cycle every morning—or at least, that’s the plan. More often than not, I end up zigzagging up and down the same roads near my house. As I pedal, I lose myself in the latest podcast episode, catching up with world events. Nothing beats the soothing voice of Ira Glass in your ears as you attempt to conquer a small but mightily annoying hill.
I love my morning rides. By the time I’m done, the school transport arrives to pick up my daughters, giving me the perfect opportunity to wave goodbye and thoroughly embarrass them. Their schoolmates in the van gape at me in my lycra shorts and a cycling jersey that’s seen better days—probably in a previous decade.
And thus, my day begins.