Haven’t updated my diary in a while~

Haven’t updated my diary in a while~ 😋 Escaped Cornell for the weekend and visited friends in Rochester — instantly felt my energy recharge by 50%! ✨ First stop: the legendary Strong Museum of Play 🎮🏛️ This museum is basically the physical embodiment of the word “fun”！From 19th-century tin toys to 90s Nintendo consoles, the exhibitions feel like a time tunnel of play. The best part is the interactive zones — us two “beautiful little girls” battled it out at retro arcades all afternoon, rediscovered childhood in a giant LEGO pit, and even dubbed a hilarious version of Tom and Jerry in the cartoon voice-over studio 🐭🎬. Even though the museum was full of kids running around, for grad students, this level of joy was just right～(Might even need a weekly dose for stress relief 😌) Dinner at the highly recommended 📍 Roux 🍽️ Every dish was so delicious it deserved its own social media post！The seared foie gras with caramelized apple threads was silky and rich, and the duck confit main course had crispy skin and fall-off-the-bone tender meat — the red wine and pear-based sauce made every bite pure bliss 😋～ The only slight letdown was the lavender cocktail everyone raves about: full marks for looks (extremely Instagrammable 📸), but the flavor was subtle, with the lavender scent feeling more decorative than flavorful. Back in Ithaca, this week slipped into the classic “Cornell cycle” again 🌀: On the surface, super busy — went to a career fair (collected a stack of brochures and one “apply online!”), and the rest of the time cycled endlessly between attending class, pretend-studying, racing against deadlines, working out, eating greens (literal salads 🥗), and playing “domestic queen.” My schedule looks packed, giving off a weirdly productive vibe, but at bedtime I wonder, “What did I actually do today?” … Maybe this is the #MicroStart state！💪 Lately I’ve also fallen into the Cortis rabbit hole — bought an album and hit the jackpot with the photocards！🎉 Pulled 2 Martin cards out of 3～ Aww, when will grandma’s favorite grandson tour in the US？I want to sit in a venue with actual seats and listen peacefully, no more festival mud pits 🥹. On the surface, it’s about finding joy in the grind, but truthfully, after a month in this college town, I’m still not fully adjusted. I battle with the apartment front desk over maintenance every week, and I’m not loving my program’s curriculum either. The most heartbreaking moment might be：deep into a late-night deadline, suddenly craving a bowl of mom’s homemade loofah soup… 🍲 (Cornell survival tip: Bring a “ready to escape anytime” mindset, and maybe learn to grow your own vegetables.) #cornell#StudyAbroadLife#SurvivalMode#StudyAbroadDiary#MicroStart#LoofahSoup#NotRecommendedForWildernessEducation#StrongMuseum#Rochester