U Up? *Read 2:30 A.M.*

​Waking up in the morning is hard, but waking up at in the middle of the night is tough. I'm a morning reporter for a local news station, that means I get up every day at 2:30 a.m.

How do I do this? I just make one cup of Columbian roast coffee...at 4:30 p.m. Prepping comes in handy. Every afternoon I get my coffee and breakfast ready for the following morning. 

The hardest part of this shift isn't waking up early, but going to bed. I'm on grandma hours, meaning I force myself to go to sleep at 7 p.m. Black out shades are essential to my early morning routine.

When my phone alarm goes off at 2:30 a.m. I never hit snooze. I force myself to get up and go to the coffee maker. I turn on the insomniac newscast and start preparing myself for my shift...and when all else fails I blast a mix of Bruno Mars, Vampire Weekend and Fifth (Fourth??) Harmony when I get ready. 

My fail proof early morning routine: blackout shades, black coffee and pump up music.

Side note: Don't text your friends back during your shift! Your lunch break, is an hour before they need to get up and go to work.

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