Second Day Rock Climbing

My knuckles are all red from rope burns, but the rest of me feels really great from the exercise I get from rock climbing! I had my second session today, and next week I get to go in whenever I want on Thursday and take the test so I can be allowed to climb unsupervised. I'm quite excited, although a little nervous!

I was paired with a Ph.D. student from Canada, Holly, today, and we worked with an instructor to learn how to belay and climb on slightly harder walls. I don't know if it was because I was getting used to it, but these walls actually seemed a bit easier to me. After a few runs up them, our helper challenged us to only go up touching certain colored grips (they're all different colors). On the first wall, I had to use a second color to help me and one third colored grip for the last push, but on the second wall I made it up using just the marbled ones! It was a great feeling. Belaying is different than the way I learned in high school, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'll be tested on it next week, so I'd certainly better get used to it soon!

I just got back from hanging out at The King's Head pub with Miriam, Alice, Courtney, another API kid named Ryan, and a Spanish international student named Inoki (not sure how to spell it). He lives in Menlo with Miriam and I, although we've never seen him before, so it wasn't too odd. Normally everyone wants to go to a second pub, but today there was a great live band playing awesome cover songs and we were having fun drawing and playing with paper.

My 9 o'clock class today shrinks every week. We usually have near full attendance on the Tuesdays, when it's at 4, but Thursday morning is apparently a bad time for college students to be functioning. Even my professor is starting to comment on it. This is the only class for which I have a midterm essay, though, so I'm definitely going!

I spent most of the day reading for that midterm assignment and trying to find the Olympics on TV. They're on right now, but I'd really love to get some sleep before the Paris trip starts...especially since my roommate kept waking me up last night!

So for now, I'll say goodbye. I'll probably post again in the morning, but then I don't think I'll have a computer until Sunday night. Be prepared for pictures of Paris!!!

Good night.