Phew!

I'm back home!

It only took a short, non-stop 16 hour car ride, briefly interrupted by a quick stop to change a tire with a distressing bulge on it.

It's good to be back. It was a really fantastic trip, with a lot of fun, food, drink, hammering and painting. I saw some of the same places and people from my last trip in March 2006, and saw lots of new places and people as well.

I had forgotten how moving an experience it was the last time. It was as powerful, if not more so, the second time around. What stands out for me isn't just working on the houses, but also meeting the various people there -- other volunteers, some of the shopowners, and the occasional random person who invites you into their home to have a conversation. Pretty damned amazing.

Thanks a lot for the kind comments. I'll be posting about various topics regarding the trip soon.

Just to clear up any suspense, no, I didn't personally meet Brad Pitt, but I did feel the presence of his star power. And I saw his pink houses, but more on that later.