Solitude of a Night Owl by Emily

Solitude of a Night Owl by Emily - January 2019 Scholarship Essay

The fogginess in my brain melts away as the sun peaks. My neurons fire only as the sun begins its downward slide toward dusk. As the moon rises, I feel the electrical impulses flaring within my being. Midnight brings the crest of my energy and my intellect.
Our sleep-wake and rest-activity cycles result from a complicated neurobiological system involving activation of numerous areas of our brain with input from an endocrinological cascade flooding our system based on endogenous and exogenous events. My complex system has decided to activate me as the rest of my family heads to bed. I dread the alarm clock in the morning and must have my coffee before my eyelids will open more than a slit. My brain processes my world slowly as the sun rises.
By the afternoon, I speak coherent sentences. Dinner-time arrives. My mind bursts with ideas; my muscles tingle with action potential. I multitask, completing my homework as I listen to a recorded lecture. My family heads to bed, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my energy. As I vacuum the living room, I write tomorrow’s essay in my head.
This alone time recharges my soul. This complex, neurobiological system, known as Me, has adjusted itself to provide me with this nourishing, productive solitude, creating the night owl I am.