🌤️ Campus Visit | Summer in Ithaca

Took a road trip through Upstate New York from Syracuse all the way south toward the Finger Lakes region 🚗💨, and finally arrived in Ithaca—a hidden gem nestled among rolling hills and shimmering lakes. 🏞️✨ This university town, once poetically named “” (Qǐsèjiā) by Chinese scholars like Hu Shi and Bing Xin, truly lives up to its idyllic reputation in the summer. ☀️🌿 Cornell in July feels like a real-life Studio Ghibli movie—clouds hanging low over endless green fields, groups of people sitting on the grassy slopes waiting for the sunset amid gentle evening breezes. 🎑🧺 With the summer break in full swing, the vast campus feels especially peaceful and spacious. 🏛️😌 It’s breathtakingly beautiful, for sure—but it’s also clear why this secluded academic paradise is the perfect place for deep focus (or, as Hu Shi wrote in his diaries, playing cards 🎴😄). That said, it’s no secret that the long, harsh winters up here can get intense—so much so that the university has installed safety nets on the bridges. 🫢⛰️❤️‍🩹 A gentle reminder that even paradise has its seasons. A summer day here feels like magic… but come winter, it’s back to reality. 🥶📚 #UpstateNY #CornellUniversity #CampusVisit #IthacaNY #IthacaDiaries #HiddenParadise