It's been a week.

It's been a week here.

I've changed. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worst, and maybe only temporarily, but I think I've changed. I look at things a little differently.

I no longer take for granted so much of the comforts of home. I know it's a bit of a cliche to say so, but you really don't appreciate just how wonderful things like hot water are until you wash daily in low-pressure, freezing showers (the water was so cold today I could see my breath), or how amazing it is to eat well-prepared food, when every day you eat things that have passed their expiration date and all the fruit is moldy or covered in odd lumps and sores. And really, as uncomfortable as life at Common Ground may be at first, it is still so much nicer than what a majority of the world experiences for a lifetime; sure, I may be a little cold or hungry now and then, but I have it so good.

And back home, maybe I had it too good. Looking back on it a good deal of my life feels unnecessarily busy, irrelevant, pointless, and downright petty. Coming home will not be an easy thing to do.

And it's strange to hear, from faraway friends, how good all this work is and what an inspiring person I am, because I just don't look at it that way. I can't really explain it. I'm just one of many other people. Back at home, it's all pats on the back and reassurance, but I just shrug and go back to work.

And of course, it's the same old story. I'm sure you know the ending.

For now, let me tell you a bit about my gutting crew. We call ourselves Baby Gut Back, or sometimes Bad Kitty, or sometimes Covert Mission Kangaroo, depending on who you ask. In any case, it's a silly name, and there's not much to it.

On a usual day, there are ten of us. There's our crew leader, Jackie, a sweet and friendly girl who's seasoned enough to gut in sleeveless tops. There's the other Jackie, an exchange student from Hong Kong who's busy filming a documentary of the whole thing. There's Andrew, a big blonde fellow who carries a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. There's Justin, strong and funny guy who plays in a band and eats a lot. There's Eli, smart and skinny guy who's always managing to carry the heaviest stuff and always telling jokes. There's Chris, from Utah, who likes to play word games and likes to pry nails from the wood. There's Amanda, who guts in shorts and shrieks at cockroaches. And there's Sarah, a freckled and red-haired sporty girl who sometimes spend time researching at the Algiers health clinic, and her tagalong Tom, a disciplined worker and ex-air force member who regales us with charming stories about boot camp. We all hail from Oxy, except for Tom, and we make a good crew.

We finished off a house today, after two days worth of breaking down walls (it was a big house.) New one tomorrow.

I think that's all for now. Please keep on reading and keep commenting, and if anyone has any questions just send them my way. Thanks so much for taking time out of your day and reading, I'm grateful for it, and glad to still be in touch.