With courses done, July was a much chiller month. Well, except for the horrible temperatures.

At work, my focus was on preparing for the final project report, which meant preparing for a clean optimization run and setting up documentation. For the first, we tried out some different setups, and I think we have a good one. Unfortunately, a crucial material we need isn't available anywhere, due to the global shipping situation. For the documentation, I got a lot of experience with Sphinx. It's definitely a power tool. There's a lot you can do with it, but it takes a long time to figure out how to get it done.

On the personal side, I've been enjoying the free days now that classes are done. I've taken some time to relax, but also to revisit my Decryptoquote project, and I think I've got a good strategy figured out. I also visited the TreeWalk at the UBC Botanical Gardens and the Nitobe Memorial Garden, and they were both amazing. The TreeWalk was a bit scary for me, but getting the different perspective on the forest was a real treat. As for the Nitobe Garden, I loved finally getting to see the way Japanese gardens use pathing to create these stunning visual reveals. I went around one corner and suddenly got a clear view of the central pond glimmering in the sunlight. (And also there was a family of raccoons around! Really cute.)

I've also had some great weekend events. Meeple Leaf, the group that hosts Friday Night Jackbox, started doing in-person board game events at Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach, and Rain City Games started their events later in July as well. I've also been spending as much time as I can with a good friend who's leaving Canada soon. I've had a hard time with the heat waves and thinking about what it all means for my future, but these events did help a lot.

Anyway, that's all from me. See you soon!