On Friday, we finished our Blender session by creating a garden scene, which we will later import and utilize in our Unity workshop on Monday. For my garden scene, I based the design on a photograph I had taken a few years ago during one of my bike exploration trips. My intention wasn’t to create something overly complex; instead, I focused on using cubes and blocks to recreate the property as accurately as possible. I believe I achieved a satisfactory outcome, but I plan to add more details and refine the scene further once we delve into Unity.
Our mandatory activity for Saturday was a hike at Ledges State Park, located just a short 20-minute drive from campus. Since we arrived early, the park was pleasantly quiet, offering us a great start to our adventure. We began by hiking up the bluff, aiming to reach Crows Nest, although we found the spot to be rather underwhelming, lacking the expected scenic views. Undeterred, we continued along the trail, following the road until we reached the river. Our next endeavor involved attempting to skip rocks across the water, resulting in more splashes than successful skips.
After the hike, I headed home to see my sister, who was visiting from Dallas. Since starting school, I hadn’t had the opportunity to ride a horse, so I took the opportunity to get back in the saddle. However, during the saddling process, my horse became startled and raised her front leg, accidentally striking my calf. Although it wasn’t a career ending injury, it served as a reminder of the dangers of horses. Despite the incident, I managed to enjoy a wonderful ride, and it felt good to be back home again.
On Sunday, I attended an Iowa Cubs game to celebrate Father’s Day. It turned out to be an action-packed game, making it a great outing overall. I made sure to bring my dress clothes back to Ames with me, as I want to be prepared for the upcoming research symposium later this summer. Additionally, I’ll be crashing a wedding on Saturday, but I’ll save that story for another blog post.
Later that night, I walked and enjoyed some ice cream with an intern from a different REU program. We had an engaging conversation about our respective programs and the projects we were working on this summer. Surprisingly, we both worked in Howe Hall, although in different fields. While I focused on my work in the VRAC, she specialized in aerospace engineering, primarily dealing with computer simulations. It was interesting to find common ground and shared experiences as interns, despite attending different schools.
Looking ahead, this week is shaping up to be exceptionally busy with a series of meetings and workshops lined up. As a result, I anticipate a demanding schedule ahead.
Until next time, take care