Hello friends. I’d like to share with you the story of a sunrise last week on Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina’s Outer Banks that seared itself in my memory. I’d love to know- have you witnessed a sunrise that left you filled with wonder and awe? Tell me about it in the comments.

Rolling over to turn off the 5 am alarm, my phone's Good Morning screen informed me that the weather was cloudy and cool. The scent of coffee in the air drew me out of my nest, despite the disappointing forecast. I had set my bag out the night before, prepared to fight back against the desire to snuggle inside under a blanket.

The short walk to the beach hinted at color in the sky and my spirits lifted as I got closer to the dunes. Once I crossed over the beach stairs, my steps were lighter and my fingers twitched on my camera dials.

At the shoreline, I turned left to head north towards the opening in the clouds as dawn began to ignite the sky into surreal colors and tones.

An early season horseshoe crab shell caught my attention as I considered if it would be a treasure worth keeping or a stinky addition to my shell garden.

Light and color reflected off the weathered homes beyond the dunes, making me hope that their guests were watching from inside rather than still snoozing under the covers.

Laughing Gulls swooped and soared, heading south along with the wind gusts as sanderlings skirted the water’s edge.

The beach was mostly empty with only a few of us witnessing the miracle of this incredible sunrise. I imagined the stories the others would tell their companions - words and photos failing to truly describe an experience like this one.

As the sun crested the horizon line, the color of the sky intensified. Brilliant pinks, oranges, reds, and yellows against the bruise of deep indigo and purple- the color wheel was fully in use.

"Every day, a million miracles begin at sunrise."
—Eric Jerome Dickey

Within minutes, the color faded and the light softened, but the magic of a sunrise as special as this was seared in my memory.

Thank you for joining me In Search of Wonder along the shores of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Until next time.

💛 Jenny

Join me this fall at the next Saltwater Retreat to witness the magic of sunrise on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Saltwater Retreat is a women’s photography retreat and creativity workshop designed to educate, inspire and help you become the photographer you long to be. Held on the shores of Cape Hatteras, this is chance for women photographers to spend a week immersing themselves in the craft of creating photographs without the distractions of home.

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