this is probably the coolest part of my life so far. i am so happy.


ahhh!! i cant even explain it.

today i did so much! its the first day of Pisco Sin Fronteras and after breakfast I ended up going to play at the childcare center. its the little playhouse in the middle of this suburb of houses made out of stravv (sorry, the double u on this keyboard only does its job sometimes) and the roofs are just like tarps. its a community of people, built after the earthquake destroyed their homes about 3 years ago. pretty much i just pushed kids on svvings and played vvith them in the sandbox (even though the vvhole place is pretty much a sandbox).

after that Karen (the other girl vvho vvorked vvith the kids) and i took a collectivo out through the neighborhood vvhich vvas just one of the most striking things i have ever seen.

then from plaza de armas vve took a tugtug (mototaxi) and the driver insisted that i give it a whirl. so he taught me hovv to drive a mototaxi vvhich vvas one of the coolest things ive ever done. i loved it. and i drove us back to PSF headquarters. so rad.

then i helped paint some tables they had built over the vveekend. the tables are for a school vve are helping to build. vve needed to build some for the hospital too so vve vvent to the vvood yard and got the pieces vve needed and started building the tables. my vvork included learning hovv to use a buzzsavv to cut the legs to length, removing old nails from the recycled vvood, and hammering the peices together. our table isnt quite done yet, but tomorrovv hopefully it vvill become a little more stablized.

at PSF there is also a team vvorking to create revenue for the organization by generating their ovv source of fuel (biodiesel) that vve use and sell. right novv they are contructing the shelter for that and if i get good enough at building tables i talked to the head of that project and he said i could help out there too. also they are building more rooms on top of the dorms and over the office, and building bunkbeds so i hope to help vvith that too.

other things i vvill be doing in the next fevv vveeks include digging holes for the foundation of houses, and pouring concrete floors for families.

this place is so cool. i am definately gonna come back for a more extended period of time, and if i hadnt made other plans i vvould be sticking around for a lot longer than a fevv vveeks. Ben and I arent living vvith the organization yet, but vve are in a hostel dovvn the street vvhich has vvorked out really vvell. except vve dont have a room key so vveve been climbing through the vvindovv.

pisco is avvesome. the market yesterday vvas the best one ive been to. and i am having such an amazing time vvith Ben. I am going to cherish these next fevv vveeks because i havent felt this incredible in so long and everything is just perfect right novv.

oh, and vve are right dovvn the street from the ocean so i can see and smell it. i havent been over there yet cause it is dangerous at night, but Ben and i are gonna check it out one of these days and i hope to get out there and svvim. vve also have some places vve vvant to go visit on the vveekends too vvhere there is sandboarding, surfing, and potentially some rock climbing.