Daybreaker LA: On a Boat

Daybreaker is a "morning movement that will start your day off unlike anything else." This Los Angeles to-do has been on my list since I read this article back in November. Wild party with dancing, food, some yoga, and no drinking? That's the definition of my kind of party.

I would say getting up at 5am to get to Marina del Rey and participate in a dance party on a boat before my regular work hours is definitely an abnormal start to my day. And huge kudos to the guy who dressed like a sun/sunflower. Hands down best costume of the Daybreaker experience.

Daybreaker is located in multiple cities all over the world. I signed up for an email list so I would be notified where and when each Daybreaker takes place in Los Angeles. I've seen so many cool venues listed since my sign-up in November, but I really wanted to go with a friend, and surprisingly no one was super willing to wake up that early. Plus, depending on where you worked (especially in LA) it would be impossible for me to go to a Daybreaker in Downtown and make it to work no later than 9am in Santa Monica. So that cut out a few people.

Finally, Lisa came back to Los Angeles. She and I used to see how many things we could explore in a day when we studied in Rome together. So when I told her about this, and the fact that it was in Marina del Rey on a boat she became as excited as I was.

She slept over the night before and came to our first uncertainty: outfits. I had a sunshine carebear costume I considered wearing. I had seen some pictures of people in costumes... but there were also photos of people super casual, or people in running outfits. So we weren't sure what kind of crowd this would be. We really didn't want to be Elle from Legally Blonde showing up in a metaphorical bunny costume when it wasn't a costume party.

Not to say Elle didn't own it and make it work. But preferrably no thanks.

We opted for more casual and "nautical-ish" themed. Comfort was our first priority.

Turns out, it really doesn't matter what you wear. Some people were dressed up in costumes — like the sunflower guy — and a lot of people just wore workout outfits and tennis shoes. Considering that a lot of people had done the yoga beforehand (we opted to not do that since that started at 5:10am and we were already pushing our limit with waking up at 5am... it seemed better not to) it makes sense. Also, this kind of crowd is more likely to hug you and celebrate you for being different in any way than judge you.

The whole thing felt like we were getting ready for some spontaneous trip or adventure. It was thrilling. The fact I had to go to work after felt completely irrelevant. We were going to a partayyy.

We made sure to get there around 6am — the boat was leaving at 6:30am "sharp" as indicated in the emails, and we really didn't want to be left behind. So we came, got our stamps, and stood in a line that went through really quickly.

Once on the boat, we immediately went through to the provided snacks and drinks. We hadn't eaten anything, thinking we'd get enough Kind bars or something on the boat, but that was a mistake. The mini yogurt parfait was good, but at sample size, it wasn't exactly filling. The beverages — mostly water and tea options — were sufficient hydration.

We made our way through each floor of the boat — the first floor was the food, second floor was the dance party, and third floor/boat rooftop included some fresh air and a long line to get your face/body painted. We decided that we weren't quite ready to dance, so standing in line seemed best option.

In the time we stood in line, the boat left the dock and came out to the edge of the harbor where we could blast music and not disturb anyone. Plus it was just a cool setting.

We waited 45 minutes in line for the painting. I mean, we considered leaving the line. We were there to dance afterall. But once we were in line, we were committed. And I really wanted to know what markers they were using because everyone that left looked so cool. (Found out that they're called "tribal markers" found here.) Meanwhile, we saw the sunman and watched him dance with everyone on the top deck.

Even if we were a little frustrated for our line wait, by the time we got to the person, they immediately give you a hug and all anger dissipates and you're left chatting with the person and excited about whatever they're putting on your face. Loved the way it turned out.

Our last act of the day was going down to the dance floor. We joined a conga line into the dance area. It was sweaty if you got really close. Some people had been going all out the whole time. I personally don't get super motivated with house music, and neither does Lisa — we're more top 40, or throwback dance party people — so I tried getting into it as much as possible, but was more relieved when the live band started playing and I could dance to their music.

Lisa and I got hungry around 8am, and the boat was back at the dock by then, plus, oh ya, we had work. So we left a little early — apparently missing a poetry performance and intention setting of the day — and went to one of the food vendors on shore for some breakfast.

I think it might be a cool idea to offer themed Daybreakers catered to different kinds of music and dances. But overall, it was a fun time. I'm glad I went when it was on a boat because it offered more things to do than just dance. We met some really cool people and I loved the love vibe going.

By the time I got back in my car, it felt like I had already accomplished something great in the day. And it was only 8:30am.