Local time: Mon March 25, 21:21

Next week is “reading week” which is basically just a spring break. Professors and students all encourage you to use this time to travel around China! Currently, our plan is to go to Chengdu with our closest friend, Avril. While we are in that area, we might also try to make our way towards Chongqing.

This week is pretty busy for me. I have 4 classes of group projects to work on and have prepared by the end of reading week.

I am still consistently going to the gym and enjoying rugby practice. Now that I understand everything more, it is even more fun!! The teammates are still super supportive and encouraging of me which makes all the difference. The team is also preparing for the national competition (I will not be a part of that of course, and probably won’t attend as it would cost money and we would have to skip classes) so practices are getting more intense and serious (still enjoyable though, and they still welcome and encourage me to come).

I have been hanging out a lot with a new rugby friend named Beryl. She is probably the shyest girl on the team but we’ve gotten really close and will often go out or go to the library together.

Sunday was Beryl’s 21st birthday, so we ate cake with her and Captain Lin.

I think that recently things have been going pretty well! Also, the weather has been pretty warm lately, mid 70s to mid 80s and HUMID. My ankles are also stiff, sore, and swollen from being perpetually bitten by mosquitoes. They look horrible and feel horrible!! Not a fan of the mosquitoes.

Final note: there is a service on WeChat (the main app used in China for business, communication, entertainment, online shopping, etc) called WeRun where you can track your steps and there is a leaderboard with you and your friends – you can also like peoples’ rankings – and last week I got first place with roughly 20k steps a day five days in a row (my days show slightly less in WeRun because it can’t track any of my work outs or rugby practices)! My steps slowed down this weekend, but actually today I was number 1 again. A very fun and competitive but not too competitive way to motivate movement!