When the Lights Go Out: A cozy Blackout at 3AM

It’s 3 in the morning.

It’s raining.

The power’s out.

I grab the camping lights, set up the rechargeable fans, open the windows, and sit quietly. All is calm.

It seems I’ve slipped into a quiet routine without thinking. It’s become familiar.

I recreated the “black out scene” when power came back.

My Midnight Blackout Routine

When the power cut out tonight, I instinctively started moving.

I got up, grabbed the flashlights, placed them in the spots that would throw the most light around the house, pulled out the rechargeable fans and placed them beside the kids, whom of which, are still sound asleep. I then opened the windows and did a quick check around the house. Just… muscle memory at this point.

Though I have to give a huge credit to my husband, who makes sure that everything is always charged! (I’m the type who will literally use my phone until it dies…. then my husband will get it to charge 😅). So that when something like a blackout happens, I can immediately move.

It’s sort of our unspoken dance. I can immediately get to work because all the pre-requisites have been taken care of. Our partnership is something I’m truly grateful for.

Finally, a UPS in 2025 - it only took 11 years! 😂

Despite working remotely for over a decade, I only just got a UPS for our internet setup this year. It only took 11 years! Ha! But let me tell you- this tiny device has brought me the biggest comfort tonight.

Even with no power, I’m online. I’m connected.

I can work.

I can write.

I can blog.

And that’s why I’m here right now, writing this in the middle of the night while the rain falls outside and the kids sleep quietly and comfortably inside.

The Quiet Sense of Freedom

What surprised me the most if the feeling I have right now.

A quiet sort of freedom.

A sense of security, even in the dark.

Because despite the blackout, my family is safe, my internet is up, and I’m home.

I can keep working, or just stay here in the quiet. I don’t need to rush anywhere. I’m not scrambling.

I’ve always dreamed of living an unhurried life. And this blackout, oddly enough, reminded me that I’m doing just that.

In the Stillness

I don’t aim for anything loud or glammed. Nothing is part of some curated remote work aesthetic. This moment is real and raw yet beautiful. Tonight, I’m reminded that this life I’ve chosen and the intentional decisions I’ve made have brought me to living a somewhat cozy, quiet life. This feeling of being unhurried feels quite the luxury. And I’m soaking in all of this comfy stillness.

I am in the dark.
Yet I am calm and still.
I am unhurried.