Week 4 Winter Break: A Quiet End to Winter Break: Running, Work, and Reflection
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass
By: Hong Bing Tang January 12th, 2025
01/06/2025 to 01/12/2025
Introduction:
Hey Blog Friends! I hope your week treated you well. For me, the week has been pretty uneventful! With most schools going back to school this week, there was not much to do at home, so I spent it being a bit lazy and watching a decent amount of TV and YouTube. In addition, the week was also filled with lots of running and working a bit. Let’s diving into what I did for the last week of winter break.
Running:
It was quite cold and windy this week for running. As a result, road was tougher this week due to the extra motivation to go run outside and bear the elements. Additionally, it was going to be a big running week as well; there were two big workouts on top of a running double. I had not done a running double since my Senior year of high school so I was excited but also a little nervous since it would add some extra load to my schedule. Most of my runs this week I did by myself, which was nice since I do enjoy being able to let my mind wander and think about the present, past, and the future. With this solid week of training done, I am looking forward to start practicing with the team next week and to the first indoor race of the season!
Work:
As said above, with most college students going back this week, I was able to work a little more weekday shifts at Hanson’s this week. These last couple of shifts were enjoyable since I worked with Brian or Coach Ford. Since it was a weekday in winter too, foot traffic was much slower than the summertime. Often, not one customer would come in for an hour. With this “empty” time, I really got to have some really good conversations with Brian and learn more about him, along with talking with Coach Ford about his time at Eastern Michigan in the seventies and see how things compared to now. It was a really good time, and I hope to be back to Hanson’s at some point in the future!
A whole lot of nothing!
When I was not running or working this week, I spent a lot of my time doing some fun activities like reading and watching TV. Unfortunately I had finished the two books I was looking forward to reading over break last week so I started to read the third book that I had gotten from the library. The title caught my attention since mentioned how to utilize the “power of uncertainty” however when starting the book, the book was quite dry with ideas being conveyed by extensive explanation of research projects which made the book very uninteresting. So even after trying really hard to read and hope the book would get better, I only made it 40 pages by the end of this week and had to return the book. Since I was not reading nearly as much I spent some time watching some TV shows and also YouTube. I had watched some of squid games 2 during Will’s new years party so I decided to finish it since when I left the party we had just gotten to the good part. The second season was really good, but left on a cliffhanger. After finishing the episodes, I thought about what I had watched and had a deep realization that the scripter writers and creators of the show had some really dark truths about the world, such as greed, how the brain can trick people, how money can completely change people, and the deepest of how money has so much power; the power to hide the insane games, the VIPs, and the dehumanizing idea of people killing/compete against each other just for a little more money.
Back at it:
On Friday afternoon, I headed back to CMU with Carson, and Abby. It was nice to be able to get back earlier than I usually do since I was able to relax and re-adjust back to being back on campus. Additionally, I was also able to a lot of chore like tasks, and organization done that I had lacked the motivation to do at the end of last semester. In addition, I was also able to spend some time with Jessie and watch the OSU football game and learn more about her break. Overall it was a good week to relax and enjoy the last of the break before things start to pick up this next week.
Conclusion:
As my winter break ends, it’s clear that this past week was a mix of quiet moments and meaningful connections. Between braving the cold for my runs, enjoying slow days at work with great conversations, and reflecting on deeper themes through TV shows, I’ve managed to recharge before jumping back into the hustle of school. Though the week was mostly low-key, it provided the perfect balance of relaxation and productivity. Now, as I prepare for the upcoming challenges of the new semester, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes next. Here’s to embracing the calm before the storm!
Goals Update:
Journaling: I journaled twice this week and it was really helpful to
Nail biting: I have not bit my nails since Friday
Reading: No books finished but I am hoping to get a book this upcoming week.
Phone usage: An average of 1 hour and 20 minutes of screen time on my phone this week. However, this is slightly skewed since I spend a lot of time using my computer to watch TV.
Future: Looked into where we may want to live next year and should be setting up a meeting to discuss where we want to live this upcoming week. Additionally, I have continued to apply to internships.
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