doing
building this website
Still working on slowly rebuilding my website with Eleventy. I'm getting a little more comfortable with the process, and I've started cleaning the place up a bit. There's still so much I want to do.
learning languages
I just surpassed my longest-ever Duolingo streak, which feels good. Making slow, steady progress with Mandarin — they recently made a lot of changes to the course, so I've been going back to earlier modules to pick up what I've retroactively missed.
reading
Beautiful World, Where Are You
by Sally Rooney
I finally finished it! It wasn't my favorite Sally Rooney book, but I enjoyed reading it. The last few chapters made me cry.
playing
Genshin Impact
UID: 605796152
I ended up getting Xilonen and her sword pretty easily, and I'm super happy with her. Act IV of the Natlan Archon Quest made me sob. Now I guess I'm just waiting for Mavuika!
Fields of Mistria
I put off trying this game for a while, but I finally gave in this week, and I love it. The characters are all so fun and interesting, and they have so much dialogue! It's such a treat to walk up to someone and see that they have something new to say. And I love how much there is to discover about the history & lore of Mistria. I'm having a really hard time putting this one down.
Potion Craft
I really wanted to play a game like this one this week, so I'm glad I found it. Really neat little crafting game where the ingredients you gather to make your potions all take you in a certain direction on the map when you add them to your concoction — the goal is to go far enough in the right direction to hit a point where you can add the effects you want to whatever potion you're making, which you can then sell to people who come by your shop. I haven't played very much of it yet, but I think it'll be nice to pick up when I'm in the mood for something chill that doesn't need a ton of time or energy to be enjoyable.
Tiny Glade
I tried the demo of this a while ago, and now the full version is out! Very cute sandbox game. It's fun to discover how you can combine walls and buildings and other objects to do something unexpected — like putting a few windows near each other and seeing a line of drying laundry appear between them. I also like that they have a daily theme if you want some inspiration.
Honkai: Star Rail
UID: 601324529
I got Lingsha! Haven't been playing much this week, so she's not built yet. I also still need to catch up on the Wardance event.
Wuthering Waves
UID: 500118502
I got Shorekeeper! I feel like I'm finally back into a groove with this game, and I'm happy. Now I just have a bunch of quests to catch up on.
Zenless Zone Zero
UID: 1001418143
I did manage to get Caesar her w-engine before the banner ended, and now she's the MVP of my account. She's the first character I've gotten to level 60, too. I also ended up getting a Soldier 11 somewhere along the way, and I'm having fun pairing them together.
Coffee Caravan
I normally shy away from shop management games like this because they tend to feel very chaotic and stressful — but this one has a few different difficulty levels, so you can choose to play at a cozier pace and just enjoy the process of building out your little coffee shop. I finished both the coffee and tea levels over a couple of days, and I might go back and give it another try on a higher difficulty. After that, I'll just be waiting for them to release the upcoming ice cream shop level.
Minami Lane
I've been really in the mood for a game like this lately, and I had a great time playing through all the levels in a few hours. I'll probably pick it back up at some point to do more of the sandbox mode, but there's something really nice and satisfying about a game you can finish in one night.