what a year

These are kids from our afterschool program at their graduation! Twenty parents came! Wow! Seriously wow!This is a mural i designed but did not paint (as you can tell!) haha I am just kidding, sorta!

after school kids

this is a big bleacher mural I had as my project last week. We had 1500 corp members from around the country and south africa come out for save the world conference (something like that) I led 25 volunteers in painting this mural!

Yay friendship garden, full of new summer flowers and perrenials

At the preforming arts night with salamata on the left and her little sister. I look a little tired.....

one of my "mentees" Beautiful girl, Isnino wonderful artist

some crazy hippie....

I gave my the kids in my mentor group my camera and they went around taking all these amazing photos, this is my favorite

Critical Creations art mentoring group! I took them on adventures to find the secret golden fish, they listened to old stories and quotes and responded to them through art, they stole my camera and sent flashes throughout the spheres! I have never taken a photo that captures a true childs smile. They look so happy!

My class!

Here are some photos from the last couple of weeks. We are wrapping up our service and saying good-bye. It is so crazy to imagine all of this. All of this around me. This computer screen. This music filling the room. My room behind me. Everything that exist here and now in this moment. It will all shatter to discretion of my memory. And I will be somewhere new. Something new blooms before my eyes. Crazy crazy.
Well today I just found out I got into the Chile program! Whaaa hooo! I am going to Chile! Well I think so. I am going to think it over a bit more. The program seems absolutely amazing and I am really looking forward to working with the community there. Sierra, have you heard of Pandora.com? It lets you listen to music for free! Say there is a band you really like. You type in the Irish jiggers and they will play a song by the irish jiggers, then they will play similar music to expose to other bands you might like. It is quality stuff!
I have honestly been going through a lot of ups and downs lately. Feeling a little polar, ya know! Little polar bear! hehe. Haha yesterday was great. I was out playing soccer with the usual mix of brazilians, ecuadorians, peruvians, spanish, italian, zambian, jamaican mobsters. This guy "Pele" runs the thing. Whatever Pele says, goes. It is really crazy. But if pele is in a bad mood, he is bazooka and he calls everyone else bazooka! "Hey Bazooka, what the hell are you doing!" They have been play for something like 20 years and I am pretty sure I am the first girl to kick their butts, steal the ball, nutmeg at any moment..."Hey Bazooka! What the hell are you doing, pass the ball!"
"She is so fast! " Haha it is so much fun....fun on my good days. Other days I let their comments get to my head and I play like shit. It is a wonderful daily practice of not letting shit get to your head. Let it flow through. Once I let it get to me I play like shit....just like in life, ya know?
So it has been fun. I have one last week of city year and I then I am off to blowing bubbles in Santa Cruz with friends, laughing it up with my family, attacking ghengis with my endless amount of love for him and hitting the John Muir Trail with MY BEST SISTER!
I love you guys and I can't wait to see you!