„These are the mornings I strive for: the slow ones, the grateful ones, the ones that remind me how much beauty there is in an ordinary day."

At 6:40 am the sunlight shines through the tiny gap in my curtains that I forgot to close wakes me up before my alarm even gets the chance. The only thought in my head: What should I start my day with?
My weather app predicted a warm and sunny day, and for once, I don't have any assignments due this week. My next exam isn't for another two weeks either. I get out of bed and decide that today is going to be a good day.
I text my boyfriend Paul a quick good morning, then grab my favourite workout shorts, a pair of socks and my Nike long-sleeve. I press play on my workout playlist and get ready while Olivia Dean's "Crossword" fills my apartment.

By 7 a.m., I'm out the door and jogging towards my favourite part of the city: Marktplatz. As I run through the quiet streets, I pass the Golden Roof and admire the mountains behind it, still looking half asleep in the early morning light.
Last year, Paul and I were on holiday in Rome. One morning, we went for a run from one monument to the next, and I remember saying, "If we lived here, we'd run past these every day." Funny enough, that thought stayed with me.
When I got back to Innsbruck, I changed my usual running route so that it would take me past the city's most beautiful sights. Ever since, I've developed a whole new appreciation for where I live. 
When I reach Marktplatz, I stop for a moment. The air still carried some coolness of the night, and the only sounds were the river and the occasional delivery truck in the distance. Just a moment to breathe and take it all in. The colourful Renaissance buildings glow in the morning sun, and the city feels calm in a way it never does later in the day.
I think about what the day might bring, what my family and friends are doing, and how lucky I am to be awake before the mountains are.

After making my way past a few more of my favourite spots, I eventually head back home. About thirty minutes after leaving, I'm back at my apartment. I take a shower, make breakfast, get dressed and text my university friends to make plans for later.

These are the mornings I strive for.
The slow ones.
The grateful ones.
Maybe happiness isn't found in extraordinary days. Maybe it's hidden in mornings like this, before the mountains wakes up.