I will TRY to keep it simple

POST #1

After a 12 hour bus ride from Pucon to Santiago, 12 hour nap at the Holiday Inn, 12 hour wait in the airport, flights to Atlanta, Salt Lake and finally Ontario, i am home. And shockingly, can not sleep. Also, the VAST amount of food i have eaten since i returned is shocking. Completely shocking. 

Topics in the next few days (or hours, depending on my resistance to sleep) will include but not be confined to: building a church; being maid of honor in a wedding of people i had met 6 days prior; trekking to the top of an active volcano; riding a zipline, and finding purpose. Pretty straight forward stuff.

Oh, some people have asked me how the riding was. I wouldn't know. I haven't touched a bike since December 17th...

This is Jorge, or Josh. He and his sidekicks came and knocked on the door and challenged us to a game of pick up basketball on the asphalt courts. It was on!! And they DESTROYED us!! They were all matchy-matchy with their team uniforms and whatnot, we didn't stand a chance!

But on day one, they picked me up as a Free Agent, I got to play for Chile. So that day, I won too. 

So I gave him my college basketball sweatshirt. I have been holding onto this thing since 2001. Nuts. It is huge on me now and just holds a lot of really good memories, and warmth. Josh and Fernando came over a few times to kick it with us, so i thought the best thing to do was give it to him. He was SOOOO stoked!! He even (don't laugh) had me autograph it!! They are from a really small town and were SHOCKED that American's had paid to come and build something in their town!!

Josh ran to his house and came back a few minutes later with two things: an And1 sweatband for me, and his team hat with name on the back for Adam. I know both of us will treasure these forever!!
Me, Josh, Adam (Tahoe), Fernando from Chile, Dean (Mendicino) and Zack (TX) stayed up way too late with the help of Danny the Translator...and a TON of laughs
Balla's! These guys are serious about their photo taking! When i askesd them to take a picture, my Spanish is WAY suspect and they thought i said i wanted a picture with my MAN, but i said my MEN...either way, it makes me look pretty bad. 

I wore ALL old race tshirts to work all day, then sweated the cement out of them!

Playing with the locals, surrounded with kids playing soccer on the side, Americans and crazy Canadians with flags, and the Chillean locals, was the FIRST highlight of my trip. This is why i teach PE. you don't need to know a language to play sports. 

You just play!