It is, in my view, quite symmetric that we arrived in England only a few days after the winter solstice and will leave England only a few days after the summer solstice. (OK, technically, we're leaving and then coming back for a day or two and then really leaving in July). It has amazed me how much a difference in sunrise and sunset times there is between January 3rd, when we arrived and June 21st (today). The sunrise, on January 3rd was at 8:05 and sunset was at 16:04. The “day” lasted just slightly under 8 hours (7hrs and 58 min). Lexington, the same day, had a full 9hrs and 36 min of sunlight from 7:54 until 17:30.
Today, June 21st, the sun rose at a most annoying 4:43am and will not set until 21:21 (that’s about 9:30 pm) giving us a day lasting 16 hours and 38 minutes. In contrast, Lexington’s sunrise will be at a more humane 06:15 while sunset is at a not unreasonable 21:04, for a longest day of the year of 14 hours and 48 minutes. I summarize these times in the table below.
January 3rd | June 21st | |||
Sunrise | Sunset | Sunrise | Sunset | |
Colchester | 08:06 | 16:04 | 04:43 | 21:21 |
Lexington | 07:54 | 17:30 | 06:15 | 21:04 |
I think the most noticeable aspect of this is how early the sun rises here, and how much it has changed. When we first arrived, we woke in the dark most mornings, and often left the house, just as the sun was rising, a little after 8am. Also, to say the run “rose” at 8am in January is a little bit silly, since at noon it was just barely above the rooftops. So even at 9 or 10am, it felt like “early morning” or at least like the sun was barely up. Now, the sun wakes me many mornings – and has for some weeks – at wholly inappropriate times, like 05:30. I’m sorry, but 05:30 is supposed to be the middle of the night. The sun should not be rising and it should be dark. By the time I leave the house in the morning now, still a little after 8am, the sun is well above the rooftops and it almost feels like midday. In fact, most of the day feels like midday as the sun sits, high in the sky, for a good 6 or 8 hours.
Changes have occured and we've noticed them. That's what's different about living here compared to vactioning here. I had been to Ireland and England twice before this, but both times for about a week. We did notice the early sunrise and the late sunset, but there was no change. There was no contrast. It was simply: wow, the sun rises early here and sets late. Living in a place you notice these changes. They become a part of your life. They affect how you live. When you are on vacation, it is the fact of being on vacation that dominates how you live. And besides, with jet lag, you never really know what time it is anyway.
Living here has provided the opportunity to see Colchester not as a tourist destination, but rather as a place like my own home town. To experience the sunrises and the sunsets and to have them effect my life. In ways that, probably, I don't quite even fully realize yet.
Like most sunsets, the sunset on my England Sabbatical brings mixed feelings. I have had many wonderful (and some not so wonderful) experiences here and I have enjoyed getting out of Lexington, and away from certain aspects of the University of Kentucky. I will miss friends I have made here and I will miss some things about living in Colchester. (I think perhaps most, walking places). On the other hand, I miss much of my life in Lexington. I especially miss many of the people, and will be pleased to get back to them. I have to admit to also missing my man-chair and my large comfy couch.
I suspect I will post a few more Blogs, most likely upon my return to Lexington, with some of our experiences traveling in France, Italy and Germany. But this is probably my final Blog reflecting on experiences here. Thank you all for reading and following. I hope you have found my writing interesting and I look forward to seeing many of you soon.
Chris, the Irrevert Economist.
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