Winter Break was a much needed time to recharge after fall semester. I spent a lot of time with family, eating good home cooked food and relaxing. I consumed more truffles than I have in my life and stayed up way longer than I needed to (playing repeated rounds of speed scrabble and watching movies), so I'd say it was a pretty successful break.

It was successful in T4K related ways as well, fitness and otherwise. I started running on a trail with Ren near our house that I, regrettably, had never previously taken advantage of. My brother the fitness freak gave me great tips on a quad-busting squat routine. I enjoyed a nice class of Bikram yoga with my old bud Elise. Aaaand to top it off, with my mother's help and the incredible outpouring of generosity from so many of her friends, I've reached the next fundraising deadline for this February 1st! $4,500 is getting closer and closer.

Over the break, I also found some deeper motivations for the ride. Mama shared some really incredible stories about our family history and grandma's courage and inventiveness. She was an inventor, entrepreneur, and trend-setter back in the day. Grandma didn't know how to read or write, but she was one of the most creative and fearless ladies on the block (read: Taiwan's countryside). I always see those qualities in my mother so now I know where she gets them from, and can only hope those characteristics have trickled down to me. Grandma passed away to colon cancer when I was just a baby, but these stories made me feel just a little closer to her and my history. Wish I could've gotten to know her before she had to go.

In other news, time is flying by like nobody's business. We had our first team meeting for this semester last Monday and in order for us to make sure we're properly prepared for the summer, there are a lot of benchmark checkpoints set up for this semester. The big one is on April 17th, the century test; we'll have to ride 100 miles in under 10 hours. It's only a few months away, so needless to say, me and the saddle will be getting really well acquainted between now and then. Numbness is anticipated.