I woke up at 0400 to a buzzing phone. Grumbling, I reach for the annoying piece of technology and shut it off. Still grumbling, I sit up and mumble a "Happy New Month" to whomever may be listening. It is dark. I grumble my way into the bathroom, where I brush my teeth and hair in the dark. Talent, I know. I search the floor of my room for the sweatpants and sweatshirt I had laid out only hour earlier. Still in the dark I throw the sweatpants over my shorts and the sweatshirt over my shirt. No need to change. Not for what I am about to do.
I grope around my desk looking for the lanyard I put my room key on. Elated to find it, still in the dark, I put it around my net and grab the plastic grocery bag I had packed up about four hours previously. In it were the essentials for my coming task: a long sleeve shirt, a washcloth, socks, a winter hat, flashlight, bottle opener and a small bottle of Scottish Cream Whiskey.
I unlock the door to my room and make my way out into the still dark hallway. Blast! The lights are motion activated and I am blinded by the lights. I grumble. I make my way down the hall to the staircase. It is cold outside. I can tell because they don't heat buildings here and the stairways are always especially cold. My feet, in boat shoes, protest.
I make it to the lobby, a favorite haunt of drunk freshmen with nothing better to do than get trashed five nights a week. There's Lauren. I'm thankful she's awake and waiting for me. She's wearing jeans - much classier than me. We smile that half-smile that half-awake people give each other in recognition of the awful time of morning it happened to be.
We make our way towards the exit, the automatic doors opening to let us pass. There's Brandon. Oh hey. Let's do this. We start walking towards town, our ultimate destination some twenty minutes ahead. As we enter the center of town I look down and see wet footprints on the sidewalk. Curious. As we pass the movie theater, I can hear people screaming. Drunk people, my favorite. We're getting closer to the end of town, literally. It ends at the castle cliffs. There's some people with a charcoal grill set up, selling hot dogs. Who can eat at this hour?
Cops - my second favorite. They look real happy to be here. There's a line stretching from the castle all the way down to the beach below. The line is patrolled by stern looking cops. Oh look! A film crew! Smile! I grumble something about not wanting to wait in line to do this. Consensus. We start leaving the crowd.
We retrace our steps - sort of, and make towards the western beach. I knew we were getting close when we could see a bonfire on the beach. There was a full moon, too. In fact, there were multiple moons out. It's almost 0500.
We pick a spot on the beach. Really any spot will do. It's cold. I'm whiny, so I run around in circles to try and warm up. I forgot how windy it gets down here. Brrr. Light, in the distance. It is kind of pinkish - orange. Well, it's now or never. I take off my sweats and sweatshirt. Quick taste of whiskey, and it's time to go.
We're standing in a line, still amazed at what we are about to do. We're ready. Run. Faster now. Splashes of water. Obscenities hurled (mostly by me). Are my feet still attached? Yikes, it is really cool. Further, further. Go out more. Ahha! We did it! North Sea at dawn. Quick, let's head back for shore. Wet, cold, but supremely content. I feel kind of like a drowned rat. Probably look like one too. Smiles all around. Shivers, too.
We quickly get dressed. Oh look, more moons to our right. Eww, actually don't look. 0530 - it is most definitely light out. Let's head back, get some sleep if we can. Plodding in wet shoes we pass the 18th hole of the famous golf course. We make it back and grumble good night. Good morning would have been more appropriate. The sun is just about up. Too bright. I feel like a vampire. Or a sea creature from the depths.
My room. A warm shower! So nice, so warm. Goodbye, cold. Hello, bed.
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