On Sunsets

i’m in my third month of being travel-less (thanks, work), with another month to go until i’m back in a plane again (to Tunisia). there’s a slight lull in my workload, which means i can actually take the time to write a blog post.

as a programmer on a big project, you often are sitting, waiting for a build to complete (basically, while a computer somewhere converts what you’ve written into an actual program). THIS IS PRIME DAYDREAMING TIME.

and lately, i’ve been daydreaming of sunsets. it doesn’t help that a lot of the music i’ve been listening to is Chicane, one of my favorite electronica artists and one i associate intimately with Ibiza. for those who may recall, watching the sunset from Cafe del Mar there has long been one of my bucket list items, and i finally got to do it last year.

by the way, if you want a Chicane track to listen to while you read the rest of this, just hit play:

back to the topic at hand — i’ve been daydreaming about returning to Ibiza if only for the whole experience of watching the sun set there again.

Sunset at Cafe del Mar

but what is it about that sunset, or sunsets in general, that is so appealing to me?

is it the idea of a “famous sunset”? some famous sunsets have been kind of disappointing, like the one at Santorini:

Overrated, at least the days we were there.

the famous sunsets of Bagan, though, did not disappoint at all:

The colors were amazing!

could it also be that it’s an ephemeral moment of zen for reflecting on the day’s events?

Lake Tahoe, a couple days before my brother’s wedding

or is it the visual splendor of long shadows, the chromatic overload of reds and oranges?

Olympiapark, Munich

The Acropolis, Athens

whatever it is (and i suspect it’s a bit of everything, all rolled into one), sunsets are for me, the most magical time of day (golden hour, anyone?). at the right place and at the right time, it can be a gorgeous transition period from light to dark, from activity to tranquility, from anticipation to completion (or, i guess completion to anticipation for the next day!).

Easter Island

where are your favorite places to watch the sun set? i’m always down to ooh and aah while my breath is being taken away!

(ugh, just reread this post — please excuse my flowery language! i don’t know what’s gotten into me.)