This collection of photos originated from a photo journal that I maintained as I renovated my Peace Corps house and constructed a two-story gazebo, which is locally called a Pillot.

This process took around ten months, and I worked with many tradesmen in my village to make the house more comfortable for future volunteers (and myself, to be honest).

Bizouti is the main carpenter in these photos. He was an expert in traditional wood carving and framing and an all-around good man and friend to me. He carved many of the doors around the village and countless bedframes, statues, and tables that filled the homes of Djon-Kotora.

He also made the light-colored door in the later photos just for me, and you can see the Peace Corps dove that he placed in the center of my doors.

The final few pictures show the chief of my village blessing the structure, and my home in a more general sense, on the day the roof was finished over the Pillot.

I also included a final section showing the interior of my house before I packed up to leave the country at the end of my service.