As I re-acclimate to life in Madison, I reflect warmly on my new Habitat for Humanity family.

Many thanks to our new Salvadoran friends: the Habitat for Humanity El Salvador team who worked so hard to make our visit a success, the masons who so patiently assigned our tasks, and the families who so generously extended their homes.

It has been a week since our return. The daily routine falls back into place, but something is missing….. I miss my new HFH Dane County family with whom I shared meals, bus rides, labor, sweat, laughter, and tears. Note entirely there yet, it takes time to re-acclimate… to the climate, culture, and routine. How do we adjust back to our “typical” day to day lives when we ourselves have changed?

Thinking back to that first day, I remember the “surprise” when tasks were assigned, one of which was to dig a pit with a pick ax and a shovel.

We worked very hard and the days were hot, but many of us found a strange gratification in the challenging hard physical labor. We became known as the “Pit Crew.”

Everyone spent some time in the pit. It was a good lesson in team work, patience, and the value of humor.

In my next post, I’ll elaborate more on the two homes we worked on and share some before and after photos.

Stay tuned…….