OK, a little truth telling. Going to New Orleans was noble but the need for the food pantry I was helping out at has basically passed. Going to Joplin, Missouri to help with the rebuilding effort was noble but the second time I went there really wasn't anything to do since it either required skilled labor or a college group to latch on to. So when it became evident that I was needed back in Maine to help my brother Jim recover from a particularly tough round of mental illness it wasn't a hard decision.
At first I had complete confidence in the local hospital and was worried that I would be bored staying in a house in the country with no TV. Turns out I had it backwards. The local hospital was ill suited to the task, unwilling to admit it and as a result my life was anything but boring. Once we finally got my brother transferred my life got a lot easier and I'm now settling in to life in Midcoast Maine.
It's actually not so bad. My brother's house is a sweet place to stay. I get to see old friends from my High School days who I haven't seen in years and winter in Maine can be quite pretty from a nice warm car. Going to Rockland gives me some nice looks at Penobscot Bay and going to Bangor I get a nice drive up the Penobscot River passing through some pretty little towns along the way. Traveling can wait. This is what I need to be doing and truth be told...it's not that bad.