Being on a road alone is the ultimated form of egocentricity. This trip is about me, and to make me happy. Its an amazing good time, but sometimes there is more in life. Thats the time that you have to give to somebody else. Time to do some good. Although I belong to the richest 10% of the people on this planet, it feels that I have more time then money on my hands. And so my good deed becomes volunteering in the re-building of New Orleans.
It didn't hit New Orleans directly, hurricane Katrina, but the catastrophic failure of the levee system flooded 80% of the city. One million people fled the city, 20.000 people sheltered in the Superdome, but still 1464 people didn't survive the disaster.
The old French Quarter was saved and tourism came quickly back up. But the mostly black poor area of st Bernard Parish is even today, 4.5 years after the tragedy, partly in ruins. 
From the people who left their house behind, 50% never looked back and build a new life somewhere else. The other 50%, besides no flood insurance, legal battles about properties insurance, no job prospect, feel that New Orleans is home, and face the reality. This is where they belong and their family and friends are. With no help of the government, non-profit organizations and Brad Pitt himself (Make it Right project), start helping and building new houses.
I start working for Habitat. An organisation which helped with the first clean up and now build houses from the ground up.
The work is fun, and in 2 days I help building a porch with a fence. I really like the work. But the organisation is faith based and thats not my thing.
I switch organisation and start working for the St. Bernard project. They help rebuilding houses and with the help of the AmeriCorp kids its a very professional organisation. 
For 4 more days, I sand, paint spray, paint the bathroom, and lay the floor in a bedroom and the hallway. Every day the home owner comes by and it feels really good to help him out. All the money he could effort is put in the rebuilding, the rest the st. Bernard projects helps out. With no money left and a bad back he is very thankful for the volunteers doing the hard work. You are welcome. Dag,
Iris (New Orleans, 32783 miles)
