Dawn Patrol: Tales From the Break of Day

I spent most of my career working what are commonly known as "market hours" here on the west coast (I am based in San Francisco). "Market" refers to the U.S. stock market, which is based in New York, and runs from 9:30am - 4pm ET (6:30am - 1pm PT). 

Although I worked in the foreign exchange (FX) department at a bank and not at a stock trading firm, I still followed the same schedule. New York is also a major hub for FX trading, especially during the morning hours when London is still open, and the two centers overlap.

This is your brain on coffee. Any questions?

I should clarify that my team did not follow the stock market hours exactly, rather it was a frame of reference. In fact, we usually came in earlier and left later. Typically, the day started at 5:30am PT and ended at 2:30pm PT, but those hours could vary. For example, most U.S. government agencies release economic data at 5:30am PT, which may trigger market volatility. On those days we would come in closer to 5am PT(!) to prepare. Waking up so early every day took some getting used to, but after a while it became routine*. 

After all those years on "dawn patrol" I have become the morning person I used to mock in my youth. You know, the old guy looking in the window waiting for the bank to open, or on the front porch waiting for the paper delivery (or milk delivery if you prefer another old-timey reference). 

While I can be productive any time of day, I feel I do my best work in the morning. Perhaps because I am not yet burdened by the weight of the day, but more likely because I am still on that morning coffee rush! 

*Pro Tip: I did everything I could the night before to prepare (set out my clothes, set the timer on the coffee machine, etc.) so I could just go through the motions the next day without thinking about it. This also allowed me to sleep like 15-20 minutes later, which at that hour is a LOT.