In praise of ? dawn departures | Editorial

It's a new light, pace and surrounding, before the world awakes. A different use of time. A gain over the sleepingOf all holiday-related arrangements, the "crazy hour" departure alarm is the one that many love to hate. 3.45am and the light is strident on the blur of bedroom shapes. Or constant because no sleep was managed. But, head off the pillow and you're up. Nobody else is. Warm tea channels the entry to the day. Post-it notes for neighbours already written, unusually loud key in the lock, and the outside awaits. It looks clean. Showing off the dawn. One over the dreaming world. Coffee outlets are opening, percolating through early consciousness. Newsagents heave stacks tightly bound by flat, unyielding ribbon. En route to the station, or airport, the overly talkative minicab driver picks up the silence, permitting the whisper of "in a few hours we'll be ?". But it's not just the holiday to come. It's now: a new light , pace and surrounding, before the world awakes. A different use of time. A gain over the sleeping. Quite the reverse on return, of course.guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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