Homesick

It did not hit me until Sunday afternoon. The feeling of despair and sadness that comes with homesickness. I miss my home, my family, my pets, and my friends. Yet, there is nothing I can do about it because I am 850 miles away from home and our 18 hour journey home doesn't begin until Monday afternoon. What bothered me the most was how close it was to my favorite holiday of the year, Christmas, but it did not feel like Christmas to me down in the French Quarter. I missed the glow of our Christmas tree while watching Christmas movies such as Elf with my friends and family. The social strain was exhausting me, as well. According to the Myer's Brigg personality test, I am an introvert. Therefore, social situations and being with big groups of people exhaust me. So, by day 5 of being with two roommates and 19 other students, I was so ready to just be alone.

Luckily, that night one roommate went down to Jackson Square for caroling, which I had intended on going to until I began feeling down in the dumps, and my other roommate went down to the hot tub. This gave me some free time to be alone. So, I of course called my mom and dad. I talked to them for nearly 30 minutes and when I hung up, I felt much better! Then, my roommate Bree texted me and told me to come down to the hot tub because it felt so great. So, I did and that also made me feel much better.

So, my advice to future students who go on this trip and are feeling homesick is to call home and talk to whoever can make you feel better. Whether it is your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, significant other, whoever! I guarantee talking to them for about 20 minutes about anything will make you feel better.

My mom :)

The River Walk and Canal Street Mall

From our hotel room we could see a very large sign in the near distance. It read "River Walk Mall" and advertised on the side of the building were what shops were inside. Stores such as Forever 21, Coach, and Lucky Brand, to name a few. Back home, shops like these are not close by. So, my roommate and I were very excited to go shopping here! Once we finally got there, we realized that the Canal Street mall was not very far away. This mall had shops such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co, and Louis Vuitton. I had never been to those stores before, so we made sure to stop at that mall too!

So, our fist stop was the River Walk. This mall had a large food court including Chinese food, seafood, fried chicken, and desserts. Along with the stores mentioned above, there were also several large tourists shops that had tons of souvenirs. The prices at these shops seemed to be a bit cheaper than those in the French Quarter. However, I would say the French Market still had the lowest prices. At the opposite end of the mall a Hilton hotel was connected to it which included a Starbucks! A little hard to find, but it was the closest one around and my roommate was very happy to find it. I enjoyed this mall a lot because there were so many different shops and I could spend all day there! Another store that I like was IT'SUGAR. This is a large candy shop with all sorts of candy sold in large quantities. Something strange that they had were flavored crickets! When I saw that I couldn't believe it and I thought that they were fake. But, they definitely weren't. Overall, I would definitely recommend going to the River Walk Mall. This is a good place to go to buy souvenirs that are a little nicer than at the French Market.

 A selfie at the food court                                                                   My roommate and I shopping

 

 Flavored crickets

After the River Walk Mall, my roommate and I took a short walk to the Canal Street mall. When we arrived, our attention was immediately drawn to the HUMONGOUS Christmas tree in the middle of the mall. I had never seen a tree so big before, inside of a building anyway. It was so pretty and decorated with traditional gold lights and decorations. I can't stand it when a tree is decorated with bright colors like pink; I like the traditional golds, silvers, and reds. Anyway. after we took pictures next to the tree, which was too big to fit into the picture, we made our way to a store that my roommate had been dying to go to, Tiffany & Co. 

Now that we were inside Tiffany & Co, Bree wanted to try on a big, sparkly engagement ring. We were looking at all of the rings and she picked an engagement ring in a light blue box and I picked a wedding set. When we were helped, the man informed us that the ring Bree decided to try on cost $143,000!!! I will always remember what he told me. He said, "$143,000, not a very nice car, but a decent ring." I could not believe what he just said!! I wondered what kind of car he was driving! Anyway, after Bree tried on the beautifully expensive ring I tried on the wedding set. The set I picked was a much more affordable $80,000. HA! What can I say, we have good taste. 

Bree's $143,000 ring

My $80,000 set

 

After we finally left Tiffany & Co, feeling excited yet sad because we couldn't afford the rings, we visited the other stores inside the mall. This mall did not have as many stores as the River Walk. The stores it did have were all name brand, designer stores and were extremely expensive! Honestly, I don't think I could afford anything there. So, overall, I would definitely go to this mall to see the sights, but that is about it. Unless you are rich.

The French Market

Upon arrival in New Orleans, I had heard a few people mentioning a place called the French Market. Since I had never been here before, I had no idea what they were talking. I also had so many things running through my mind that I did not even give it a second thought. However, at the end of our ghost tour, our tour guide brought us to the French Market. At this time it was almost 10 o'clock at night. Therefore, all of the shops were empty and locked up for the night. My first impression was that it was a lot of different food stands, sort of like an outdoor food court. However, the food offered here was traditional to New Orleans and included muffelatas, raw oysters, and, of course, alcoholic beverages. There were also a couple of stands that offered vegan food which one of our classmates was extremely thankful for.

It was about four days later until I made my way back to the French Market and really caught a glimpse of what it offers. The French Market is not only food, it is jam-packed with vendors selling all kinds of things! There were several booths set up selling souvenirs such as T-shirts, masquerade masks, key chains, mugs, and magnets.  Other vendors were selling things like sunglasses, jewelry, paintings, purses, trinkets, and so many other items! After visiting many other tourist shops, I noticed that the prices at the French Market were cheaper. So, I would definitely recommend going to the French Market to buy souvenirs for your loved ones back home. There are so many different options that you should be able to find a gift for everyone!

Farewell New Orleans

When I think through all of the different places we visited this past week, I would have to say that Jackson Square was my favorite spot. I really enjoyed sitting on the stairs in front of the St. Louis Cathedreal. On one particular day, the sun was warm and when I was sitting on the steps it shined down on me and kept me warm. I love the feeling of warm sunshine on a breezy day.

I also really enjoyed watching all of the talented performers at the square. There was this one older man with a long white beard that was tinted yellow from cigarette smoke. He looked rough but when he talked and sang I was pleasantly surprised. His voice was so smooth like butter and I really enjoyed listening to him perform. Not only did he have an amazing singing voice, he had very impressive guitar playing skills. 

In regards to the class, my favorite thing was our first night there. We all went to dinner at one of my favorite places yet, The Original Pierre Maspero's, and then we went on a very interesting, informative, and historical gohst tour. As I have mentioned in one of my other blogs, I tried a lot of new yummy foods. Such as the fried green tomatoes, jumbalya, and bread pudding. After that, we took a tour of the French Quarter and learned about the history and hauntings. My favorite spot our tour guide, Denise, took us to was the LaLaurie house. She explained to us the horrifying things that took place there and how it is one of the most haunted buildings there. I found this story most interesting because it was told in one of my favorite shows, American Horror Story.

Madame LaLaurie's mansion

The Original Pierre Mospero's

On our first night in New Orleans, we all went to this restaurant called The Original Pierre Mospero's. Although I only ordered a burger there, I was able to try some very yummy new things. First, I tried fried green tomatoes. I really like tomatoes but I had never tried them fries before, so I was a little nervous. However, once I took a bite I realized just how tasty they are! Now, today is the day we depart. I wanted to go back there to get some more fried green tomatoes but the chance never arose. Something else I tried was jumbalya with blackened chicken. This was basically pieces of grilled chicked atop of some seasoned rice. This was also very tasty! I told my boyfriend, Dylan, about it and he immediately became envious. Lastly, I tried bread pudding. It was so delicious and even reminded me of apple pie. I then became envious that I had ordered the chocolate mousse cake.

The Presbytere

Today I visited a museum that contained information, artifacts, and stories from the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Before coming to New Orleans for this class, I knew that the hurricane had produce massive damage and loss. However, I never realized just how big of an impact it created. Visiting the museum today helped me understand what great losses, suffrage, and damage New Orleans endured. 

Something that I learned today that I found most interesting was how all of their Emergency Plans failed. Think about it. New Orleanians know that this area is prone to flooding and water damage. So, they have taken the steps to prepare for it such as levees, drains, and raised housing. Therefore, I feel that the residents were not expecting anything they hadn't dealt with before; considering the previous hurricanes such as Betsy. However, the great amount of force Hurricane Katrina brought was obviously much more than everyone bargained for. 

My favorite spot in the museum was the room that acted as a simulation. The room was dark with flashing white and blue lights symbolizing lightening. There were fans pointing down on us and speakers turned up loud playing sounds representing high winds. And in this room, actual video from the storm was being played. It showed footage of water pouring in through people's front doors, debris flying through the air, and hours completely submerged in water. I felt that this room did an excellent job at presenting this; I had goosebumps the whole time.

Excursion

When we first arrived at the Hansen's museum for the first time, I couldn't help but to admire how pretty the grounds were. All of the landscaping was beautiful with all of the live oaks, ponds, and bushes. Once we entered the museum, I was a little confused with all of the memorabilia. I was seeing armadillos, vintage scooters, and a Chinese New Year costume. All I kept thinking was "what do any of these things have to do with Leprosy?" Thankfully, our tour guide was very informative and explained it all to us. It turns out that approximately 80% of armadillos have leprosy and can transmit it to immunocompromised humans. The scooter and Chinese New Year costume were displayed to show what the patients, who were not allowed to leave facilities, did for fun. Back then, they believed that leprosy was very contagious. So, when patients were taken care of at this place, they spent the remainder of their lives there. I will say that I was a bit surprised at just how nice everything was for the patients. I assumed that our tour guide was going to explain to us the abuse the patients endured or something. But, it turns out they were taken good care of!

I enjoyed looking at all of the old artifacts within this museum. They displayed old wheel chairs, assistive devices, and policies and procedures from 1946. The policies and procedure book from 1946 was my favorite thing to look at. Seeing how they were required to do certain things back then just blows my mind!

After visiting the Hansen's Museum, we traveled to the Whitney Plantation for a guided tour. I was expecting to visit a huge extravagant plantation house; I kept comparing it to the house that was in Django Unchained. However, when we finally made it to the house, it was not exactly what I was expecting. However, this is because the house has been preserved to look exactly how it did in the 19th century. Nevertheless, the house was still extremely interesting and I enjoyed touring it. 

Besides the house, we also toured several monuments, a church, and the slave quarters. One of the slave quarters was original and we were able to tour it which was very neat. When I was walking through it, I noticed the walls and floors being paper thin. In fact, the slats of wood making up the walls had spaces in between them. There were two beds in one hut, even though around 10 slaves shared a hut. I keep calling it a hut because I feel that they do not meet the qualifications to be called houses.

Overall, the tour at the Whitney Plantation was very informative. I learned a lot about  what a slave was expected to do, how they lived, and why things were the way they were on the plantation. I would definitely recommend my family and other to visit museums such as these, for they offer much information!

Local Art

After walking around the French Quarter, it was obvious to me that the locals have a huge appreciation for art. All around Jackson Square, many people can be found trying to sell their artwork for anywhere from $5 to $50. However, on Royal street the art is a bit pricier. Ask entered the first gallery, I thought most of the work was strange. Art is not something I'm totally interested in, anyway. So, as my group looked around I found a chair that my feet were very appreciative of. At the next gallery, I was immediately interested in one particular artist. His name is DeVon and he specializes in contemporary pop art. A lot of his work included Marvel characters such as Superman, Batman, and the Joker. They were bright and colorful and drew my eye in. Then, around the coroner I noticed this huge pink piece. It was different from all of his other work because it featured Marilyn Monroe. I really liked this piece, it was my favorite.

This is the shop where I found my favorite piece of art!

Something else that stuck out to me were all the musicians I saw on Royal Street. I enjoy the confidence that the people who are performing have. I would definitely be too nervous to just set up in one of the busiest towns and starts singing or playing an instrument. I would feel way too vulnerable. Something that I saw that I found very interesting was a little boy playing the cello. All I could think was, "who would allow their small child go into the French Quarter by themselves?!" I couldn't really hear him playing , I was more concerned for his safety.

Music and Pharmacy Museum

On Thursday we all went on another tour. This one was probably one of the more memorable tours because with each important location, our tour guide played an authentic New Orleans song. The music he played reminded me of jazz and the blues. I could here a lot of brass instruments, drums, and some songs had piano. An example that I could best compare to this type of music is When the Saints Come Marching in, which is a traditional New Orleans song anyway.

When our tour guide, Milton, would play the songs I would sway back and forth and nod my head to the beat. I couldn't resist! The music was really fun and upbeat. One of the most famous music artists from New Orleans is Louis Armstrong. We visited his statue in Treme and while we were there, listened to one of his songs.

After the music tour, we went on a pharmacy tour. At first, I was not really interested in it. Mainly because I just didn't know what to expect. However, I discovered this room filled with historical obstetrical equipment and I immediately became extremely interested. Since obstetrics is the field I wish to practice in, I found all of this equipment fascinating! What I found most interesting was the tools they used to use. After reading about each ancient tool, I was relieved that things are completely different now! 

Old tools used for obstetrical needs

A common place where women would give birth

After reading and learning about how labor and delivery used to go about in the 18th - 19th century, the pharmacy tour began. I really enjoyed learning about how crazy medicine was practiced back then. In all honesty, I really do not even know how humans still exist today, that is how unsanitary and uneducated their practice methods were back then! For example, our tour guide explained that suphillis was a very common morbidity in the 18th and 19th centuries. So, to treat this deadly infection, Mercury injections were the first line of treatment....how insane is that! Well, I can't be too judge mental because, they were completely clueless!

History and Cuisine

Today was a very eventful day for me. First, we toured the St. Louis 1 cemetery. I was immediately surprised at just how ancient these tombs were!! The bricks were decaying and falling to the ground. The engravings had diminished into nothing and looked sad and decrepit. I learned that both very important and famous people are at rest in this cemetery. For example, although he is not dead, Nicholas Cage has purchased a rather extravagant tomb:

Another famous person who is buried in this cemetery is Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen of New Orleans. Since no one really knows where her remains lie, she has three tombs. I learned today that she, and many others who practiced voodoo, was a nurse and helped nurse soldiers back to health. I also learned that many medications back in the day were produced by those who practiced voodoo. It made me smile seeing the different things that people leave for her. Some of the things that people left at her grave site were bobby pins, hair clips, hair ties, cigarettes, and flowers. I noticed several x's marked all over her entire tomb like this "xxx". Our tour guide informed us that people come and as Maire for favors and when they do, they put three x's on her tomb. If their favor has been answered, that person will come back and circle their three x's. Unfortunately, I did not see any circled x's.

After the tour of the cemetery, we went on a cuisine tour. Ever since I decided to go on this trip, I told myself that I was going to try pretty much everything. So, today I tried for the first time raw shrimp, raw oyster, muffalino, a canoli, and gellato. My three favorite foods were all from one restaurant, La Divina and included the muffalina, the gellato, and the canoli. My least favorites were pretty much every thing else I ate, especially the oyster. Ew, and the shrimp.

Arrival

It was finally that time. We had arrived at the train station in New Orleans! When I first got off of the train, I could not see or experience much. Once we were inside the train station, I saw a beautiful colorful mural all across the wall. Unfortunately, since I was carrying two suit cases and two shoulder bags, I was unable to take a picture of it. The next thing I noticed were the different types of people surrounding me. There was one man in particular that stood out to me. He was wearing these baggy sweat pant-like pants that were covered entirely with a galaxy pattern. I also noticed that he was extremely short.

We, as a group, had decided that from the train station, we were going to walk to the hotel. I thought, "yeah that's a good idea, I have been sitting on this train for 14 plus hours and the walking will do me good". The weather was sunny and warm, I think it was about 70 to 75 degrees. Plus, I was excited to start sight-seeing! Okay, so we have started walking. I am pulling one big, heavy suit case on wheels in one hand, as well as another smaller, lighter suit case in the other. I have a shoulder bag on each shoulder and they each were sliding off every few minutes. So, at first I was really enjoying the walk; the weather was perfect, compared to the cool dreary weather back home. However, with each step I took my bags became heavier. My arms began to hurt as well as my shoulders, legs, and feet. What was said to be 0.8 miles was beginning to feel like 8 miles. I swore my heavy bag didn't even have wheels, that's how hard it was becoming to pull. I began to sweat in every unfortunate place women tend to sweat. My feet began to drag and I was honestly thinking I wasn't going to make it. As I fell further and further behind, I kept looking forward in amazement at how my instructor just kept on truckin' like it was no problem! Finally, I see my classmates start to turn inside a building. At this time, I got a second wind and pushed on and, after what felt like forever, I finally made it to the hotel!

Once I walked into the hotel, I was impressed with the decor. But, I was more focused on getting to my hotel room and plopping down on my bed. Once we navigated the 3rd floor hallway and found our room, I quickly took my shoes and socks off and plopped onto my bed. I laid there for a good 5 minutes. As I am laying there, I am enjoying the air conditioning. I was sweaty, winded, and experiencing slight tachycardia. I can feel my pulse all throughout my body, especially my lips. I had not had to exert that much energy in quite a while; which goes to show just how sedentary my life may be.

After my roommates and I had gotten cleaned up, it was time to go on our first outing! The city was, and typically always is, very packed, busy, and fast paced. However, I was very impressed on how well my instructor knew her way around and how efficiently she got us to the restaurant. I was constantly looking around, admiring all of the sites and Christmas decorations. Christmas is my favorite time of year and seeing a big city all decorated makes me very happy!

Departure

My instructor for this trip said it perfectly: "we not only left Peoria, we left our comfort zones".

Since I already touched on the bus trip, I will dedicate this blog to my train ride adventures. 

We arrived at the bus station in Champaign, Illinois around 9pm Monday night. The building was well lit, warm, with new appliances and decorated for Christmas. The entire atmosphere made me feel comfortable, relaxed, and relieved which was nice, especially after that freezing bus ride! Once we were all settled in, the great idea of ordering pizza came about. This made me pretty happy because, in all honesty, I'm nervous for the food on the trip. Yeah, I'm excited to taste authentic Cajun food, but then again, deep down inside, I know I am not going to like it. Therefore, when we ordered pizza, I made sure to enjoy it because I was not sure when I would have food I'm comfortable with again.

Finally 10:35pm rolled around and it was time to board our train. I was very excited because I had spent months wondering what this train was going to be like. At first I kept imagining the train from Harry Potter with that one older woman pushing around a cart and asking, "would you like anything from the trolley, dears?" with a thick British accent. But I realized that this expectation is probably not realistic. Then, I imagined what I would now compare to the observation car: two seats next to each other with a table in front with two other seats facing them. However, when I finally boarded the train I was pleasantly surprised. The seats were large, reclined, and had foot rests! Plus, having long legs, I was happy to see the ample leg room. When I sat down, I immediately reclined my chair and put my foot rest up, it was nice.

Then came time to sleep. As I have stated in a previous blog, I do not sleep well in unfamiliar or uncomfortable places. Therefore, I knew I would not be able to sleep very well on the train. However, once I got my pillow and blanket I was able to doze on and off throughout the night. Although, I did wake up every time the train stopped. So, as I write this, now Tuesday at 1pm, my eyes are heavy and dry. I am very much looking forward to plopping down onto the fluffy hotel bed and getting a good nights sleep. We are approximately 2 hours away from New Orleans and my imagination is going wild with what to expect!! 

I woke up this morning at 5:30am in Memphis, Tennessee 

Train Station Waiting

It is now 9:36 pm and we are all in the train station awaiting our 10:35 train arrival. We are in Champaign, Illinois and the trip getting here was...slightly eventful. First, I arrived at the college, and extremely familiar place to me. From there, I was under the impression that we would be taking the college vans to the train station in Champaign. However, I was wrong. From the college, in the vans, we were taken to the Peoria bus station. A nervous and anxious feeling overcame me. I thought to myself, "are we about to take a City Link bus to Champaign?!" I had never been on a City Link bus and, therefore, I was nervous. I have never heard much good about public transportation and I was not looking forward to doing it now! But, I then learned that we are going to take a charter bus to Champaign and my worries were subdued.

So, when we finally got onto the charter bus everything was going well, I thought. However, when we reached Bloomington, Illinois, we made an unexpected stop. The bus driver explained, "I just need to take care of something real quick". I couldn't help to wonder what was going on. Nevertheless, we got back on the road in less than 5 minutes and were back on our way. However, about 20 minutes later, the charter bus begins to pull to the side of the road. It turns out that the windshield is completely fogged over and the driver cannot see! So, she wipes it off with a paper towel as best as she could and we get back on the road. But, I then noticed that the window almost immediately fogged back up. The more I kept nervously checking the windshield, the foggier it would get. But then, a nice passenger got out of her seat, stood/crouched next to the driver, and wiped the windshield down every few seconds. This was a great help and saved several unnecessary stops.

Now, it is time to pack up our stuff and board the train. I can't wait to see what the train is going to be like!!

Preparation

It is late Thursday night, about four days until I leave for my trip to New Orleans. While laying in bed thinking about my upcoming adventure, I unwillingly begin to feel nervous. I get that feeling that I always get before I go on a trip without my family. There is a pit in my chest that crawls up into my throat and makes me feel nauseous. I just can't stand the thought of leaving my best friend, the one I share my bed with every night, for eight days! And, yes, I'm talking about my dog.

Nevertheless, I am going on this trip and Sissy will surely survive while I'm away.

I began preparing a list of things I need to bring on Wednesday. But first, since I have never been on a train before, I googled things such as "what to bring on an overnight train trip" and "how to pack for a long train ride". I read some good tips and got a good idea of what I'll need to bring. Some of the general items are a pillow, blanket, headphones, and earplugs. I did learn, however, that there is an accessible bathroom and to have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and wash cloth accesible. This is all good information for a novice train-rider. 

An issue that has been on my mind regarding the train trip is food. The google searches all recommended bringing durable food that does not require refrigerating or microwaving. So, how does a girl bring a good fulfilling lunch that meets those recommendations?! It definitely doesn't help that I may be one of the pickiest eaters there is. Nonetheless, I have come up with some ideas. Some snacks that I will be bringing and need to go buy include unsalted almonds, beef jerky, maybe an apple with Jiff-to-go peanut butter, and definitely bottled water. 

I have yet to give much consideration to the hotel stay due to the fact that my mind is overwhelmed with the thought of a 14 hour train ride. I am the type of person that needs (okay, likes) roughly 9 hours of sleep a night, and when that time is compromised, it's not too pretty; especially if I'm in an uncomfortable, unfamiliar place. So, something I plan on bringing with me for the hotel stay is my small fan. It is perfect for masking any annoying sounds one might here at a hotel, especially snoring! This will definitely make me feel more comfortable. That and a pair of earplugs, as well.

While I am away, it seems my family will need to do some adjusting. Whenever I bring it up to my mom she starts to cry! At one moment, she really doesn't want me to leave, but on the other hand, she wants me to have the best time! Also, my boyfriend Dylan is already complaining about how bored he is going to be when I am gone. He keeps saying things like, "gosh, I'm gonna be so bored. I don't even know what I'm gonna do". Which, does not ease my nerves about going whatsoever! In all honesty, it makes me miss them already and I haven't even left yet. 

Despite my worries and homesickness, I know that in the end, everything is going to be just fine and I will have a blast. I'm sure it is all going to be over in the blink of an eye! Yeah I am missing out on a couple of family Christmas gatherings, but a trip to New Orleans doesn't happen every year. So, I'm gonna suck it up and enjoy myself (hopefully). Now, please excuse me while I go listen to "I'll be Home for Christmas"....

Course Expectations

In all honesty, with each new email I get regarding this trip, the blogs, and train rules and regulations, my anxiety level increases. Perhaps it is due to the fact that all of these extra worries are falling onto my lap during the worst time of any college student's career: finals week. From worrying about what to study for Mental Health, to how I did on my OB ATI, my brain is in a constant whirlwind. However, once I am able to take a deep breath and tell myself, "everything will be fine", I am able to relax, regardless if it is only for 2.5 minutes.

A thought that passes through my mind that helps calm my worries is how excited I am to go to a place that I have never been before. New Orleans's culture is something completely different from what I have ever experienced. I imagine people completely care-free and just being themselves, dancing in the streets wearing extravagant clothes, makeup, and jewelry; they are proud of their culture and want everyone else to experience it, as well. Although the assignments required for this course are adding to my already hefty load, I realize that the readings and blogging will only help make this trip a memorable experience. I have never blogged before, especially during a busy, event-filled trip. However, I am looking forward to it now because it is going to add so much more zest, creativity, and interesting aspects to my experience that I will also be able to share with my family!

Once the travel course is completed, I hope to have gained an increased cultural perspective and a mastery level of blogging skills. I better have eaten some delicious food that drives my taste buds wild that I will crave once I have returned back to my normal, boring life. When I do return home, I plan on educating my family and friends on interesting facts and information that I have learned. For example, why the culture in New Orleans is the way it is, how they specifically practice their culture, pertinent history of New Orleans and how it became what it is today. That is the whole reason why I decided to take this course in the first place, to learn more about New Orleans. This magical destination has always interested me and when I saw that this was an opportunity, I was immediately interested! That, and I have set a goal for myself to go on as many trips as possible while attending Methodist College, yolo! Another reason I chose to go on this trip, as well as a fun fact, one of my favorite shows, American Horror Story, was set in New Orleans for season 3. So, I am looking forward to seeing the settings and comparing it to what I saw in the show. Are there really witches and voodoo in New Orleans? If so, can I please learn?! That would be great and my life would be complete, thanks!

 

Okay, so maybe I have a weird interest in witchcraft that no one has ever known about.... Anyway, something else that I am most looking forward to is of course the cuisine tour! Being able to eat a wide variety of authentic, homemade food, yum! Now that I think about it, maybe the ghost tour! I love spooky stuff and New Orleans seems like the perfect place to discover it! Actually, I am really excited to go to all of the museums! Seeing all of the antique artifacts, smelling that musty ancient smell as I enter a room filled with memorabilia from a time way before my own, that's the best! Well, it's obvious that I am looking forward to every part of this trip. Perhaps after I have experienced everything I will then be able to decide what I enjoyed the most. As for right now, I am going to continue to let my imagination explore what treasures are in store for me in New Orleans.

Urban Expectations

When I think of urban settings, I immediately think of crowds, dirty sidewalks, strangers, buildings, shops, and many other things for my eyes to discover. I imagine the smell  normal everyday pollution of a city such as car exhaust, cigarettes, and a nearby fast food restaurant frying something up. I also think of the millions of germs that surround me. All of the people who may have coughed or sneezed on that door knob, or what that stain on the bathroom floor could possibly be. When I am in an urban setting, such as a mall or busy street, I notice myself walking fast, looking down, holding my purse tight, and sometimes even mumbling to myself. I typically only mumble to myself when walking alone, such as walking to and from the school and hospital. Around here, the people I see when in an urban settings are different types; it really just matters on where I am at. At the mall, I see people of all different ethnicities, I see women in crazy outfits and think "oh my gosh, who would ever wear anything like that"! Other times I look at people and think, "okay, they are kind of scary, lets walk over here" as they exit Hot Topic with their crazy black eyeliner drawn into a spider web under their eyes and fishnet stockings under their long sleeve shirt.. Growing up, my mom always made it clear that anything horrible can happen in a second, and by horrible I mean that I can get kidnapped, raped, and killed in an instant. I know, such a quick change in mood, but my mom always reminds me of that to this day of that. Whenever we watch a show on TV about a kidnapping my mom always says, "that is why I worry about you so much!" Therefore, another thing that pops into my head when I think of urban settings is being kidnapped, mugged, or hurt.

When I think of New Orleans, I think of a small, narrow street with an old-fashioned brick road that is packed with loads of people; the buildings are lined with colorful images, murals, and flags. I imagine the smell of seafood, cajun spices, and smoke from a grill while I can hear the  sound of loud, jazz music being played on a saxophone. I always imagine it nighttime and the streets are being lit with strings of lights, similar to Christmas lights but these lights are up year round. Perhaps on these streets there are people dancing, singing, and just celebrating life. I also imagine several areas that are home to extremely old things. For example, I imagine New Orleans having spooky old cemeteries, museums with artifacts from periods of slavery, and antique shops filled with lots of neat items that I would love to see! I imagine New Orleans this way based on what pictures I have seen and what shows I have watched. The pictures I have seen show extremely crowded streets packed with people including tourists with their fanny packs, book bags, and cameras as well as locals just trying to get some groceries. Shows I have watched depict New Orleans as a party location; there is always music playing, singing, and dancing! I have also watched several shows that tell ghost stories and New Orleans has been in several episodes! When compared to the urban setting I described above, I imagine New Orleans as completely different. I hope that it is just as fun, upbeat, colorful,, musical, and interesting as I imagine!