Prepping for work, but first... Shanghai

Lauren, Megan, Kelsey, Andrea, and I all realized today that we need to cut back on our spending. China makes it so easy! Why not buy a $0.15 bottle of water? Just $1.50 for a taxi ride? Sure, let's do it! We've lived like tourists for the past few weeks, paying to see sites and buying souvenirs for family and friends back home. Now we're ready to work! (If only for the free lunches and the days full of activities for which we won't have to pay. Ah, I kid.) 

We toured our venue for the first time yesterday. The Laoshan Bicycle Cluster consists of a gorgeous indoor track, an outdoor BMX track, and a mountain biking path through the hills. We were lucky for the extensive tour of our venue. Some students working more popular events, like swimming, have less access to their venue's facilities.

But before we get to work, the five of us (before mentioned) decided to travel to Shanghai. We found a cheap flight (tickets cost much less through Chinese websites than English ones) to the city and plan to stay in a hostel. We can't wait to visit the city, which is the most populous in China, the world's largest port, and a magnet for international business. For now though, we're just spending the day at our dorm, planning the trip and hoping our ticket purchases and reservations go through!

Shanghai cityscape