It's 5:15 on Friday morning and I technically don't have to be awake for another four hours. Instead, my alarm is telling me that it's time to get out of bed.
After only a few hours of sleep, I feel strangely excited and energetic — the royal wedding will be starting in just 45 minutes.
The idea of waking up so early to watch the wedding of two people that I have absolutely no connection to probably seems crazy to many people, but this was a marriage that had been 10 years in the making. And I wasn't about to miss it.
At the risk of sounding cheesy or cliché, it really was a thrill to watch everything as it was unfolding. Although, I think it's pretty safe to say I wasn't alone in feeling that way; I was witnessing history being made.
Seeing the highly anticipated wedding dress the moment it was first revealed and the glances the couple exchanged when they first saw each other at the altar was actually pretty cool.
As I watched, my thoughts kept returning to the stunningly beautiful new princess and all that she must have been feeling.
Kate Middleton was actually living what most girls can only dream of. She had found her Prince Charming and was a part of a real-life fairy tale.
I'm sure when she met Prince William in college at the age of 19, she never imagined that this day would come. Now, this "commoner" from a small town in England was about to become royalty.
When the two began dating, she was immediately thrust into the spotlight and has remained there ever since. Now an international icon of sorts, I think she will represent the royal family well.
Appearing calm and poised, the new princess truly was someone to admire. All eyes were (and will most certainly continue to be) on her. I can't even begin to imagine that kind of pressure, but she took it all in stride and carried herself with such elegance and grace.
So, that being said, I guess I can forgive her for stealing the heart of the man who was once considered to be the world's most eligible bachelor (he and I share the same birthday, so we were obviously meant to be). After all, she was just an ordinary girl who was met with the most unordinary of circumstances.
I think Kate Middleton's story just goes to show that you never can tell what each day will bring and how it might impact or change your life forever. I'm not saying you'll become a member of the royal family too, but just think about the potential that each new day has. It's actually kind of amazing if you do.
In the end, it was certainly a wedding worth watching — 5:15 wake-up call and all.
The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Emily Schrank at eschrank@nd.edu
