This week, I caught the flu and felt dizzy and tired. Yesterday, I went to Leuven for an experiment—starting at 7:30 a.m. and returning after 11 p.m. It was exhausting, but I keep reminding myself: things will get better.

When I got home, I fell asleep immediately. This morning, after a long, restful sleep, I went for a 10 km run. The fresh air and sunshine made me feel so much better, and I’m deeply grateful for the beautiful weather and the lovely people I met along the way.

I planned to do some experiments today, but when I arrived at the lab, I found that someone had taken the shared key and hadn’t returned it. So, I had to quickly rearrange my plans.

While out running, I remembered how, in the past, many people along the road would greet me with a cheerful “Good morning.” It always made me feel happy and encouraged. Today, I decided to take the initiative and say “hi” first—I hope it brought a little brightness to someone else’s day too!

I’ve been running more frequently these past two weeks, though with shorter distances each time. I love feeling the sunshine on my hair and shoulders, the wind brushing against my face, and the fresh scent of new leaves and grass. Running is one of the best moments in my life when I can be truly alone with myself — though sometimes, I run with friends too.

Happy birthday, Emily! ^_^ A lot of love from my family and old friends.

Things are getting better and better now. There is some progress with my ink optimization. Pretty cool! I found I can do almost everything if I put enough time. I also know some of the things are out of control. Let’s say, try our best, and let go of the outcome.

One week, 10 km. It’s really hard for me to run these days.

This week, I went for two runs—one through the forest and the other in the heart of downtown. The contrast between the peaceful woods and the city’s buzz gave me a lot to reflect on.

An exhausting week — but I made it. At the 3 km mark, I almost gave up. Yet somehow, I pushed through and finished the 10 km.

I'm so happy today—I made big progress on my 3D printing experiment! After a 10 km run, a full afternoon in the lab, cooking dinner, and video calls with my family, I’m finally winding down. It’s been a long, full day, and now I’m feeling that good kind of tired.

We absorb a vast amount of information every day—some consciously, some passively. In an age where everyone can be a broadcaster on social media, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern what is true and what is false, what is good and what is harmful.

As researchers, we are trained to question everything with a critical mind. But without a calm inner center, even we can be swept away by the noise.