The Morning Air Is Colder Than Expected

Mornings on a trip come strangely early. The light through the gap in the curtains opened her eyes, and to her surprise, she didn't think of going back to sleep. Below the window an unfamiliar language passed by. The smell of butter from the bakery on the corner mixed with the air outside the covers. At home she was someone who snoozed the alarm three times, but here, pulling back the curtain to look out didn't feel awkward at all. Spreading yesterday's hand cream over the back of her hand, she traced today's route in her head. She read the unfamiliar place names on the map out loud. Her clumsy pronunciation made her laugh to herself, but she soon fell quiet. The glass was colder than expected, and as open as the morning air was, it was still too early to stand there long. She pressed the switch on the kettle. Hearing the water begin to boil, she decided to head out in a little while.