By Emily Wei, Lifestyle Columnist
It is officially October aka spooky season! Not only is it spooky season, but school and work are officially back in full swing after the summer holidays. I’m not sure about all of you, but it always takes me a few weeks to adapt to my fall routine and it’s a bit draining on me, both physically and mentally. This is why one of my favourite ways to cope with the influx of productivity is to make a goal to watch the sunrise/sunset at least twice a month. Twice a month might not sound like a lot, especially since we get 30 of each per month but when I say to “watch the sunset” I don’t mean to peak out your window after dinnertime, and when I say “watch the sunrise”, I don’t mean glance at the sky on your commute to work/school. I mean carve out a chunk of time of your day to schedule in an hour or two of pure sky watching. Now that you’ve decided to watch the sunrise or sunset, where should you go and at what time? This is what I will hopefully help you with, today!
First, here are some simple logistics to think about. The sun usually rises around 7:15 am from October onward. Each day, the sun rises between 1-3 minutes later so make sure to factor this in when planning your outing. When you look up the sunrise time on the internet, your search engine will usually give you the time the sun has almost fully risen. So, if you’re looking to get a glance at the bright oranges, pinks, and purples that some sunrises can bring, try to go around 20 minutes earlier than the actual “sunrise” time. The sun rises from the east and sets from the west so if you’re looking for a spot to catch it, try looking at a map from a bird’s eye view to determine which way the sun will rise or set relative to the location. Alternatively, the sun sets around 6:00 pm starting in October and also increases by about 1-3 minutes per day. Same as the sunrise, try to get to your viewing location about 20 minutes before the sunset time to ensure you don’t miss any colourful events.
My personal favourite spots to watch the sunrise or sunset include; Queensland beach, Peggy’s Cove, the Halifax Waterfront, York Redoubt, the Dingle, Fisherman’s Cove, and Point Pleasant Park. All these places offer a very open landscape with few obstructions to ruin your view. This brings me to my next point; make sure to think about possible view obstructions! Forests can be a great and serene place to watch the sunrise if you find a small clearing/cliff to sit by but keep the possibility of trees blocking your view in mind! Personally, I enjoy watching sunrises more than sunsets since it gets me up early and starts my day on a good note, but to each their own!
That’s all for this month but make sure to romanticise the beginning of the fall season (no matter how hard it might be). Drink your pumpkin, apple, and chai drinks and listen to music underneath orange-coloured leaves and I’ll see you in November!