I'm writing this as some of us in the house are watching Sixteen Candles and eating popcorn. It reminds me of the first time I saw this movie, which was at Danielle Bellinis house on her sixteenth birthday! It was a fun time. I miss those high school days the most right now. Everything was easy, but it felt so difficult... Like our lives would end if we didn't get to go to the football game on Friday night or if we had to do write a 2 page essay. Yeah, 2 pages!!! Now, we all have responsibilities and we have to figure out what to do with our lives so we can support ourselves. I wish I could be forever young. One thing about this experience is I feel extremely ignorant to what else is out there in our world. I am already so much more grateful for what we have in America and how I was raised. Ecuadorians do everything they can to make money, including using their kids. The children I volunteer with have to wake up at 4 in the morning sometimes to get to the market to help their moms. The greatest thing we can do for them is provide an area to play and be kids. We sing songs, play with puzzles, color, and do some dancing. The kids usually have blast and when their mom's pick them up, they have the biggest smiles on their faces. You can tell they appreciate us. I am getting more comfortable being here and walking around, but still cautious! It feels like I have been here two weeks, pero it's only been 5 days lol I am starting to communicate more with Enrique who works in the house. He's the sweetest man and loves to help. Everyday I say more and more in Spanish and he enjoys it. He doesn't speak hardly any English but tonight he did say that he has seen a lot of volunteers come through the house but he says he loves us! Made my heart melt :) he's leaving to go home this weekend (he lives on the coast) so it's gonna be very sad without him here. Tomorrow I am going to a new market to meet new kids. It's always exciting to see their tiny faces.

PS: I'm getting sick of the taxi drivers' s*** at 6 in the morning. They speed down our street just laying on the horn (the honk to get customers). It sucksssssss