【英文夜读】My "Staycation"_新浪财经

It was time for cadets at NUDT to go home and enjoy their summer vacation! Everyone was busy packing their belongings and were homeward bound. Amid the excitement that prevailed on campus, my heart grew heavy. For the entire holiday, I needed to stay and train for the coming table tennis and orienteering.

But I had little time for a pity party before activity quickly picked up. It started with high-intensity training. I had to run at least ten kilometers, daily, to increase my aerobic capacity. And that's not even counting the five hours of daily practice of table-tennis movements and strategies. Altogether, I felt like I was a professional athlete, doing the same training over, and over, again. It wasn't before long that I felt weighed down by an increasingly boring and monotonous workout regimen.

Amid the gruelling routine, I missed my family and friends so much. Having waited patiently for the interminable semester to end, I wanted so desperately to get home to embrace my parents and friends, face-to-face, and enjoy our time together. Unfortunately, this could only be satisfied in my dreams. Talking with them through WeChat was the only way I could satisfy my yearning, but that was far from enough.

Despite the monotony of training, and the longing to return home, I still had to push on.There were many competitions waiting for me, including the exchange table tennis competitions like, "The Strong Army Cup" in Nanchang; "The 19th China University Orienteering Championship" in Lijiang; and "The 12th China University Table Tennis Competition of the Sunshine Group" in Huangshan. Between matches, I took few breaks and grew exhausted. But the thrill of representing the university at such high-level tournaments kept me going. My anticipation of the challenge that awaited me was a salve for my loneliness.

Besides the thrill of competing itself, I was also able to leave my normal stomping grounds and meet new friends from prestigious universities across China. Though we were different in character and experience, we found so many things in common--our love of sports, our willingness to improve...even some everyday problems that we shared. For example, we discussed how to balance learning and entertainment, and how to take full advantage of our fragmented time in the information age. Through these chats, I gained new perspectives on how to "seize the day" and conquer challenges that came my way.

With my friends, old and new, I was also able to go sightseeing and have some exciting and meaningful experiences. I participated in the flag-raising ceremony in Bayi Square on August 1st in Nanchang and visited the Nanchang Uprising Memorial Hall. Some of the famous tourist attractions I visited include: Tengwang Pavilion, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the Cultural Heritage Museum of the Naxi People. During my trip, I had a good taste of the local food--reserved pork rib, wild mushrooms and crossing-the-bridge noodles, just to name a few! Let's just say, I learned how spacious my stomach was on these trips.

In retrospect, what impressed me most during the summer vacation was the pride of standing at the podium to receive my awards. Because of my training in the prior weeks and months, I won a silver medal at Nanchang, a fifth place in the individual point race at Lijiang, and the first prize at Huangshan.

But the moment of truth came when we took on the reigning champion and runner-up at the mixed double in Nanchang. That day I recall the scorching heat of the midday sun-not favorable for a gentle stroll down the street, let alone the intense sporting match that would shortly ensue in the table tennis arena.

One hour into the match, we lost the first two sets. If we couldn't win the third, we were finished. Worse still, we were down five to ten in the tiebreaker. Seeing my partner drop his head with disappointment, I tapped him on his shoulder and we looked at each other approvingly. Afterwards, we loudly shouted to celebrate each point we won. Gradually, the morale of our opponents began to decrease. For the next five minutes, we gained six straight points, and went on to win the set. With the last ball falling to the ground, thunderous applause from the audience echoed throughout the arena. Through this competition, we received not only the respect of all our fans, but also the willpower to persist through adversity. And to ultimately come out on top.

When I now look back on this summer vacation, I realize that I wouldn't give up my staycation for anything. These were some of the most treasured moments of my life. Though, at the beginning, I was overwhelmed with sorrow, loneliness and exhaustion, things got better and, looking back, I enjoyed every moment. The winter vacation is around the corner. I can't wait to go home and share my stories.