is waking up at 3 a.m. from a bloated stomach,
and again at 6, bitten awake by mosquitoes,
yet still finding the will to rise—and reward yourself with a sunrise.
*Got up with diarrhea, tried lying down but the discomfort lingered. GPT suggested massaging my belly and doing a “yoga” pose (knee-to-chest) to relieve the gas. Kept trying until 4 a.m.
**A giant bug bite (plus two more on my right arm…), itchy and sore. Mosquitoes kept buzzing close—but still, thanks to them for “waking me up.”
***The timing turned out just right. By a little past six, the sky was already blushing deep. Checked the location, pulled myself together, and by the time I arrived, the light was just beginning to glow. Even unplanned, I took nearly a hundred photos—lucky and deeply satisfied.
P.S. Ended up spending 100 minutes, ran 7km (way beyond expectation). Exhausted by noon, and my stomach’s still unsettled now…
— Xiao Chen Notes
June 30, 2025