Last week was a blast. I just had my very first spring break in my life. I was so excited for that even before the second semester started. Originally, I was going to North Carolina for the rowing training, but then I quitted the crew right before spring break. So now I can enjoy my break instead of spending 9 days on the water rowing. It was very sudden. When I knew two of my friends in Purdue were going to University of Washington, I hesitated for a while and then decided to join the squad to go to Seattle. My parents were a little concerned and worried about the trip. They thought Seattle was too far and not worth it. Therefore, in order to persuade my parents, I put so much effort on researching touristy places and explaining to them how convenient Seattle’s transportation is. Finally, they approved my trip.

After three exams in a row, the day had finally came. There was literally no word to describe my current mood. My roommate and I drove to UIUC first, meeting up with some high school friends, and then the next day I drove to O’hare airport. It was a long flight, and I had a sweet dream about the visit in Seattle on the airplane. When the airplane landed, my friend picked me up at the airport, and then we went to Taiwanese-franchised-restaurant called Ding Tai Fung. It was the best and most famous restaurant in Taipei. In the following days, we went to Pike Place, aquarium museum, lake, visiting campus, and also shopping mall. It was a great trip. People there were so friendly and amiable, and the Asians food was unexpectedly cheaper than the one in Purdue. Everything was perfect except that it rained quite frequently, comparing to the rain in West Lafayette. Lastly, I really appreciated and felt so grateful about this trip. I have reunited with my high school friends, met a bunch of amazing people, visited many places, and of course tasted lots of delicious food that I would never have a chance to get in Purdue. 

I just read an article on the internet about Syria. It was a very sad news. There were pictures of children suffering from chemical attack and adults crying and grieving because of losing their children during the chemical attack. This has to stop, seriously. I’ve never seen such a dehumanized story before. For a split second, I really could not believe what I just saw. I felt so bad for those who are experiencing these immortal and tragic events right now. Why can’t people just stop fighting and acting like a mature man? No one can bear with this kind of news anymore. It has been years, and the war has never stopped. What's worst is the effect to children. They are innocent and so naive.  Sometimes, deep down, I truly wish gun powder was never invented, for the sake of those innocent children and every human being’s safety.