August 3rd!

 As one of the last precious days we have left in Shanghai, today couldn't have been much better. Staggered from 9am-1pm we each individually took our exit STAMP test and although the test taking itself wasn't particularly pleasant, worse was the realization that taking our exit test really meant we are creeping up on the last few moments of this amazing month. Most people spent the free time around the test either catching up on sleep or catching up on shopping (I personally squeezed in both) with another trip to the fake goods bargain market in the AP Plaza or some browsing in the Miniso of Global. 5:30 found us all riding in on our Ofos to the Mao statue for a group picture and then a bus ride to the Bund (外滩) for a neon lit cruise down the river! After coasting up and down the length of the Bund, giving us the chance to capture some spectacular views, some people hopped back on the bus and headed home for dinner with their host families or around campus. A group of us decided to really embrace the few more meals we have left in the culturally rich Shanghai and headed for some authentic Chinese cuisine; by that I mean we all went to Taco Bell. (There's only one Taco Bell in all of China and it happens to be in Shanghai so there is an argument to be made that it is a Shanghainese specialty.) A few tacos, quesadillas, and nachos later we were all full and satisfied so we took the metro back home where we all started in on our IPA final presentations due tomorrow that I'm almost certain every single one of us procrastinated on. But I mean when the time we have left in Shanghai starts to be counted in hours instead of days or weeks who wants to waste even a minute doing homework? A second to last day well spent, but for all of us tomorrow's excitement at finally going home is overshadowed by the dread of way too many goodbyes we're not ready for.

-Roxane Martin