I came back to Caltech to start my SURF this Tuesday after taking a week off. Of course, I was welcomed back by the intense LA sun and heat. Finals officially ended on June 18, but I turned mine in early and went home a couple of days early. At home, I just ate, slept, hung out with friends, baked, and binge-watched shows — the dream of every lazy teenager. Now I have to collect myself and get back into a more productive rhythm.

Most SURF students have had a pretty slow start this week. They need to go through safety trainings, familiarize themselves with the different apparatuses, and learn different lab techniques. I started my project during spring break, so I am simply continuing where I left off. I guess it’s not as exciting for me as for others, but I do remember being pretty hyped when I started in March.

I used to wonder if SURF will just feel like a continuation of the school year. There are definitely similarities. We have the same cafeteria, but no open kitchen 🙁 . I see a lot of familiar faces, since most frosh SURF. On the other hand, I am working a real 9-5 (ish) so there is actually an end to work every day, and I have more time to hang out with friends in the evenings. Also, there are a lot of students from other schools doing research this summer. It kind of feels like the first day of high school after graduating middle school.

I guess you are probably more interested in hearing about the fun things I do, rather than my daily routines. I got off work early today, so I spent some time drawing. This is my attempt at Daenerys Targaryen — hopefully you can see some resemblance.

In the evening I went to grab ice cream with my friend Angelina. Bengees has been my go-to since it is pretty close and the flavors are fairly gourmet. Afters is a Techer favorite, but it is slightly pricier. If I have access to a car, I would definitely make the drive to Scoops. I never get tired of these places because they have rotating, seasonal flavors (probably changed every week?). Tonight we just settled for Bengees. The ice cream got devoured before I took a picture, so here’s a more aesthetic one from Visit Pasadena.

Ice cream milky bun — Source: Visit Pasadena

After ice cream, I just relaxed in my room for some me-time. I’ve been watching Black Mirror and I am hooked! If you have any recommendations, let me know 🙂 (I would prefer something that does not have over 4 seasons). Also, I love going out for food and checking out hipster/trendy cafes, so you can bet that I will keep you posted on my very basic food adventures.