Just chilling in the hostel. Heh.

My time in Portland has involved a LOT of walking and I’ve foolishly done it in flip-flops and sandals. The ankle is not happy and has swelled mightily on many occasions. Yesterday’s Habitat for Humanity build definitely took a toll.

I’m so done with this injury. It could be much worse… I’m so thankful that I can walk and run and stand on two feet… but it’s just frustrating to feel like I’ve made backward progress.

I had a frustrating start to the build yesterday. It turns out that hammering in nails is pretty tough for me. My partner was bangin’ in nails like a boss while I was smacking away fruitlessly, tottering on an eight-foot ladder. She would finish her half of a piece of wood in two minutes, then watch me labor for 10. She was so nice and offered to take over, but I wanted to figure it out.

I had to take little breaks because it wore out my arm quite quickly, and I would stare at the stubborn nail head and wonder, “Why do I suck SO badly at this?”

It would have been easy to give up and ask the build leader for a different task, but one word flashed through my head as I carried on.

*whack*

Persevere.

*whack*

Persevere.

*whack*

Persevere.

And you know what? I smacked the shit out of those nails and got them in. I got faster. I got better. My partner left early, and I completed my task by myself.

My ankle is that stubborn nail that just won’t go in. Unfortunately, I can’t just smack the shit out of it – that’s what got me here in the first place.

But the other part, the perseverance, applies to anything and everything.

It’s funny what you accidentally learn when you give a little time to service.