37°C.

Hot and humid.

Nothing unusual in Japan once summer arrives.

Yet after a relatively cool rainy season, the first real heat of summer always hits hard.

Living through my first three summers in Japan has taught me more about adapting to the seasons than my previous 45 years in Europe ever did.

I could complain about the weather.

Instead, I’ve found it better to build habits that help me live with it.

The biggest one has been waking up at 4 a.m.

Those early morning hours are cooler.

Quieter.

Perfect for a walk or a bicycle ride.

If the conditions are right, I take my drones with me.

By the time the sun becomes relentless, I’ve already spent several enjoyable hours outside.

Then I return home, switch the air conditioner to Dry mode—a setting I only discovered after moving to Japan—and spend the hottest part of the day editing photos, writing blog posts, and working on my videos.

What surprised me most is that this new rhythm has made me more productive.

One early morning flight often gives me enough drone footage to edit videos for the rest of the week.

Instead of publishing once a week, I now find myself uploading two or sometimes even three videos.