That "came out true" feeling is the best part. I rebuilt my rear wheel last winter after putting it off for months, and when I threw it on the stand and it spun straight on the first try, I felt like I'd won something. The whole job cost me like fifteen bucks in spokes versus a couple hundred for a new wheel, and now I actually know how to fix a busted spoke instead of panicking. Taking your time on the tensioning is the whole game, and it sounds like you figured that out.