My Backyard

    With every passing day I'm growing to love this place and these people more and more. It's funny to see to where I was on the first couple days-wanting to be leave and go back to malibu- and where I am now.  The conversations, the dinners, the shared laughs, the adventures are all starting to weave together a beautiful, resilient, strong bond. We came as individuals, but we're starting to make it a family.
    Today I slept in a lil, everyone's een going too hard and is on the verge of getting sick so sleep is needed. It's nice not having any 8ams and only one 9am. I don't have class til 2pm tomorrow! Anyways, that all leaves some good time to hang with Jesus everyday and that's been great. Classes are pretty good. I think I'll enjoy them. It's still weird getting used to not having a science or math class, i feel very unstructured and disorganized without them. I guess figuring out how to hw and study in this new environment will come in time too.  
   Between classes i went to workout, but as i was walking out the door i thoguht to myself "I should go on a bike ride and get lost." So i did, and i did get lost. I've felt somewhat gringo in multiple situations everyday, but this was gringo to the extreme. From hopping curbs, cutting through traffic, zooming through crowds on the sidewalk, getting chased down by a cop, going the wrong direction on roads, racing cars, and getting stared at constantly, i felt i earned the gringo label. It was fun. I found some useful places and learned a new part of the city. Slowly but surely its beginning to feel like my backyard, never thought I'd say that in this spraaaaawling urban jungle. I'm also getting all sorts of connections from NYU hot sauce-making students to Hawaii PhD students to travel agents to government agencies and some locals.
    Today was Rafa's birthday so we had California Burrito at the casa for convo dinner, followed by the ice cream from the super dope place Persiccio (or something like that) again. We had worship afterwards that included Liz's and Chad's awesome testimonies. After worship i walked Liz home and then went and had "cigars and settlers" with the guys. I was too lazy and tired and cheap to actually smoke with them but it was a great time just hanging with the guys and playing settlers of catan.
   This is the good life.