Outer Journey-
It was our last day in New Orleans today. I was actually pretty sad to leave. The short time that I was here made me fall in love with this place, and for me that is saying something because I usually (9 times out of 10) hate big cities. I loved the people, the music, the art, the food, the sights. There was so much to do and see every single day. I was never once bored. I walked until I thought my feet were going to fall off, and then I walked some more. Let me tell you, it was oh sooooo worth it. Once I graduate I plan to come back here because I love it that much. Some of the reasons I cannot put into words as to why I love New Orleans and the French Quarter so much because I am still figuring all that out myself. There are so many wonderful memories and experiences that I will be able to look back on fondly now. I took so many pictures. More than I will ever be able to print out. My favorite place that we went to was the Presbytere. I love museums and always have. I felt like it was a very eye-opening experience. I somewhat spoke about this before, but I never realized how bad Hurricane Katrina actually was. Yes, I had seen the news and read stuff, but had never seen clips like that or read the things they had in that museum. Hurricane Katrina was much worse than I ever imagined. It really tugged at my heart strings. It was so sad, and so devastating for these people. Seeing the man’s journal entries on his apartment walls almost made me cry. He was one of the very unlucky individuals who weren’t able to leave and be evacuated. He left a timeline of what happened every day. I started I believe the day before Katrine and then for weeks after. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what that would be like. To stay in your apartment and not really being able to leave or go anywhere? It was very dangerous out too. No food or water. He spoke about having a sore throat too and needing medicine. Not all entries were sad though. He actually wrote a few about it being a good day. Good for him that he was able to enjoy the little things. I would tell others to visit this place. New Orleans itself as well as the Presbytere. I will miss this place. I will miss being able to just walk around the city and find new things to do for the day, or having the list of things that I will be able to see and do for the day. I also loved the Haunted History tour. It was awesome! I learned a lot from that as well. Things I had never heard of, and some things that were heartbreaking to have to listen too. I don’t want to give away too much, and some may have a weak stomach. If you want to know, read about Madame Delphine LaLaurie. She was a terrible human being. I don’t feel bad that she got her head chopped of in American Horror Story. I plan on visiting this place again in the future. When I am at least a little more financially stable and not a student. I wish I would have been able to purchase some artwork. But, that just means that I will have to come back and purchase some then! I even got a reading from a psychic medium at Voodoo Authentica, which was awesome. I would highly recommend it to someone who is looking for a fun experience in New Orleans that is something that isn’t just something you go and do every day.
Inner Journey-
I must say while on this trip I experienced many emotions-but that’s a good thing. I felt excitement the whole time. I felt some anger and sorrow at museums and on some of the tours. I also got a bit nervous and anxious during some of the parades. There were so many people and it was so loud. One night after the first official day of Marti Gras started I saw a police vehicle with the stock trailer on the back. I got excited because I knew the mounted police were out and I wanted to see the horses. Unfortunately, I did not see them. Before I really decided to be a nurse I wanted to be a police officer for a long time. Either a K-9 of Mounted police officer. Dad wasn’t having that, so I decided I could still help people with nursing (which I love). So maybe the next time I come here I may be able to see the Mounted Police. My favorite part of the class was the tours. As I have said before I love to learn. I always have. So being able to learn things and sight see, AND have fun was awesome for me. It is hard for me to narrow down my favorite things and favorite parts of this trip. How do I cram all of these wonderful days into these blog posts? My favorite part of the trip was being able to see and experience new things with my friends. We saw creepy things, fun things, sad things, and funny things. The cemetery and Haunted history were spooky and full of information lead by wonderful tour guides. The street performers were so much fun to watch. They would dance, play music and make me laugh. I would temporarily forget I was a tourist and on a school trip while watching the performers dance and make music. It was sad to see the devastation by Hurricane Katrin. It was heartbreaking to hear what Madame LaLaurie did to her slaves. I felt such anger and disgust toward her. How can you do that to another human being? Our tour guide for the Haunted Tour and for the cemetery were funny too. The older gentleman that did the tour at the Ursuline Convent was adorable and was able to crack some good jokes too. The locals here were so nice! They would call you baby or honey and it didn’t sound condescending at all. It’s just the way they speak. They were always willing to offer up stories and advice. They told us where to go for good food. They also told us where not to go, and to walk with a group to remain safe. They were able to spot a tourist from a mile away. The performers, artists, and musicians of the city loved what they do and that really shone through. I learned that after a few days I was able to navigate the French Quarter comfortable. It was easy to get turned around, so it is important to remain aware of your surroundings and what your doing. I also learned to pay attention to street signs and landmarks. To walk with confidence. It also reinforced how much I hate ignoring people and just having to walk away from people. Back home we never do that. But, we also don’t have people trying to get money because they are homeless. The performers I am more willing to give money to. But when someone walk up to me and ask for money while smoking and drinking from a whiskey bottle-no. I still don’t like having to be rude and walking away. I learned it is better to just keep on walking and not acknowledge or to politely disengage from them. They won’t stop asking or leave you alone if they really want something. Overall though, I didn’t run into many people that did that. I saw a lady strutting down the street with a black cat on a leash perched on her shoulder. I smiled because I found it interesting and not something I see at home. She asked if I wanted a reading. I politely told her no, she didn’t persist, smiled and kept walking. I loved this city, its culture, and its people. We did see a man who was quite funny. He was at Jackson Square and we were taking photos of the the Andrew Jackson statue and he started cracking jokes with us. He said "Oh let me get out of the way! I don't want to break your camera!" He was funny and was able to make us all laugh on our last day in NOLA. I hope to be back one day!
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