Back to Jersey

I don't think it is possible to describe the excitement I feel that I am heading home tomorrow. It has been just over 5 months since I have been in New Jersey and seen my family and friends. I have missed aspects of home a lot since I have moved to New Orleans (as I have discussed at length in my blog) and I think it will be a good "recharging" moment for me to be around the familiar for the holidays. I plan to take it in as much as possible because I won't be back until my YAV year is complete in August! I have already made a list of places I need to eat which include but are not limited to Wawa, somewhere that sells a decent bagel, Conte's and the Bent Spoon.

There will not be much to report while I travel home so I think my blog will take a little hiatus as I enjoy some quality family time! I will resume posting as usual in the New Year (can you believe 2014 is almost here?) Thank you again to those of you who have been following my blog and supporting me in various ways throughout my journey here in New Orleans. I wouldn't have made it this far without you and I look forward to seeing some of you during my time home!

Happy Holidays!

Lesson from the Journey: I have some very talented roommates. Below is a picture of the GORGEOUS Secret Santa gift I received from Kalyn that she painted! An owl holding a sunflower aka two of my very favorite things...what could be better?

I am obsessed to put it lightly!

Feliciana Retreat

Us YAVs got some quality R&R this weekend at the Feliciana Retreat Center located just north of Baton Rogue. We arrived Thursday evening and spent the next two days without cellphone service enjoying each other's company and being away from the city. It was the first of three retreats that we will have throughout this year and set an awesome precedent. We were broken up into three committees for the retreat - food, spiritual and fun. I was on the food committee which meant planning and preparing the meals. Let's just say we definitely didn't go hungry - from pasta to brownies to fajitas to cheese sticks to quiche we were eating well in the woods!

We also had intentional time for spiritual activities which included praying in color, singing hymns, reflecting on bible passages and lighting an advent wreath (that Colleen so awesome constructed). The rest of our time was spent learning how to play dominoes (we all got obsessed while simultaneously finding out how competitive we all are), playing cranium, reading books, napping, writing, canoeing, decorating ornaments and my personal favorite - swinging on the porch swing outside. It was the perfect balance between scheduled activities and being able to relax on your own. The no cell phone thing was also SO nice. Not having to answer to anymore for two days was just what I needed!

Our log cabin at the Feliciana Retreat Center

The amazing fire that Colleen kept going the entire time we were there!

Decorating ornaments! Layne looks so pleased with hers 

My Mardi Gras beads ornament

Who doesn't love coloring? Our wooden Christmas scene...like my green faced elf?

Dominoes game! It's actually really fun to play and we all got super in to it!

Canoeing with Alex and Kalyn on the lake

Lesson from the Journey: There is something about being in nature that allows you to "stop and smell the roses" - appreciate yourself and those around you.

Hump Day Blues

I knew that there would be times during my YAV year that I would feel lonely, disconnected and distant from family and loved ones. It is during the holiday season and the approaching of Christmas that I have felt this feeling most heavily. Change is never easy, especially in regards to changing the physical proximity of your support system and other familiar things. I have found myself having to face my fears, doubts and insecurities on my own more than ever before. I am not meaning to say that my family and friends don't support me - that is far from the truth - but there is a difference in supporting someone who is far away and experiencing, living and doing things that are vastly different from the things that you are. Pile on top of that the space that this year has created for me to self reflect and truly figure out who I am, which has brought up darker things that are not always easy to talk about and face, has resulted in this year often times feeling very heavy.

I have been told by various people in various ways that the next years of my life are going to be filled with transition and I will in many ways even be defined by these transitions. I can attest to these transitions first hand. I have transitioned to a new city, living with new people with a new daily routine, new responsibilities, new food, new ways of defining my friendships and keeping in touch and most importantly I have been transitioning in adulthood which I have been so fondly referring to as the "real world". Transitioning into this new phase of my life has come with a lot of resistance on my end (I mean who doesn't want to just keep life simple?) After talking with my site coordinator this week she had me to come to a very important realization. Moving on to adulthood means letting go of our childhood, and in essence a lot of our innocence and the simplicity that comes along with that. In reflection of this statement, I have come to realize that there are many events and memories that I hold onto very tightly in order to keep myself in this safe place, the safe place that connects me to my childhood. In order to fully move on and grow up and become an adult I have to let go. Letting go requires working through the pain of some of my past experiences but by working through these events, I can make space for new joys, adventures, failures and learning experiences. Who knew growing up was so hard?

I am beginning to think that the events that I have been lucky and blessed to experience this year are not important because of the tangible work- building houses, working with volunteers, volunteering at the animal shelter, being a personal shopper at First Presbyterian Church - but that these experiences have the most meaning in the lessons that they teach me. I have found that these past four months have slowly but persistently been opening me up to more willingly learn about myself, without judgment, from the world around me and the people I meet. I have never really looked at every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow and change. It's an exhausting task that requires self awareness, honesty with yourself and most importantly the openness the learn and accept the way things are and the way you are. But it is more often than not that the most challenging tasks are the most rewarding. It is these thoughts that I try to keep in mind as I miss my family and friends. I am trying to turn my sadness, loneliness and grief into an opportunity to learn more about myself. This is not easy (sometimes I find myself just wanting to lay in my bed and just feel sorry for myself) but I think that through awareness I can get to a place where I can find peace with the struggles I face with being on my own. Bring it on.

Why end on a serious note when you can end on an adorable one? So I will leave y'all with this priceless picture of this baby boy and his dog napping together. I think it might possibly be one of the cutest things I have ever seen. You can view all the adorable pictures by clicking here.

Lesson from the Journey: Learning about yourself is hard but worthwhile work.

Elves in Lafayette

This weekend the YAV house made the two hour trip to Lafayette to help the First Presbyterian Church distribute Christmas baskets and decoration to families in the area. They were very grateful to have 8 willing volunteers to help sign people in, organize them and be their personal shoppers. I had an absolute blast and the 5 hours we were there was a whirlwind of picking out baskets, deciding between Christmas wreaths and getting an amazing arm workout - the time honestly flew by. We even got to wear elf hats while we worked!

Alex and me rocking our elf hats!

My role was to be a personal shopper which means that as families were called I would look at the baskets they needed on their list, help them decide on which basket to choose and show them all the Christmas decorations we have. The families were so impressed by all the choices of baskets, the organization of the ministry and the fact that they got to have personal shoppers! I felt so blessed to be a part of such an awesome project. The waiting area had cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, magazines and a kid's station - every part was really well thought out and executed. The church was explaining to us that they had been collecting baskets and Christmas supplies since August and had already begun making baskets for Easter. In addition to the hundreds of baskets that they had for the families that day, they were also making an additional 200 baskets for case workers families. How incredible is that?

This room was filled with baskets for newborns through age 10! Every basket had a stuffed animal and books along with other goodies clients could preview through the clear wrapping. 

This room was called the Room of Abundance (kind of sounds like its out of a Harry Potter movie, right?) and was filled with Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, lights, garland, ornaments, stockings....you name it!

Wreaths and flower arrangements that clients could choose from!

More baskets! 

I felt so much joy helping families pick out baskets for themselves and their loved ones. Many families expressed how much this meant to them and how these baskets were making their holiday season. It was truly rewarding to be a part of bringing joy to these families Christmas'. I received countless hugs and even shed a few tears! I felt completely in my element engaging with the families and helping them out - it was a truly beautiful afternoon.

I truly think that this is what the holiday season should be about. Of course it's important to spend time with your family and friends - exchanging gifts, singing songs and enjoying each other's company. But I think its especially important to give that joy to families and individuals where that is not a give in. Holidays have given me some of the best memories but can often times be the darkest time of the year for others who don't get to enjoy the luxuries that I am lucky to have. I think spreading true holiday joy - with complete strangers - is the one of the most meaningful and powerful activities you can partake in.

My beautiful YAV family with our silly elf hats on. 

Lesson from the Journey: Before heading to the church, our YAV house and site coordinator stopped for lunch at a farm to table restaurant called the Saints Street Inn where I had a delicious burger dubbed the Manburger - grass fed beef, bacon, manchego cheese, avocado, this amazing mayo and topped with a fried egg not to mention paired with these to die for hand cut fries. Nothing like a delicious meal before a rewarding afternoon.

Manburger

Westbank Adventures

This past Tuesday, Project Homecoming packed into several cars and made a trip to the West Bank. For those of you who might not be familiar with New Orleans geography, the West Bank is the area on the other side of the Mississippi (the East Bank being New Orleans). It is counter intuitive because the West Bank is actually south and the East Bank is actually north but in relationship to the Mississippi it has been dubbed the East and West Bank. I haven't spent much time on the other side of the river so it was nice to branch out and explore with the wonderful people of Project Homecoming.

We crossed over the beautiful Crescent City Connection Bridge that links the two banks and headed to Cafe Hope. Cafe Hope is a restaurant that mentors young adults ages 17-23 in the restaurant and hospitality industries while also teaching them useful life skills to carry into adulthood. The food was absolutely delicious and it was rewarding to be supporting such an awesome establishment. I ordered the shrimp and grits which was prefaced with warm bread and honey butter. Have I mentioned yet how amazing the food in New Orleans is? This was no exception. If you want to read more about Cafe Hope, click here.

Cafe Hope! Anna Leigh and Emily's hand reaching for the amazing bread and honey butter

I ordered a Coke and it came in a mason jar! 

After our hungry was satisfied we headed to Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. It was a cool 75 degrees and perfect for admiring nature. Our walk began with dense oak trees but as we continued, the dense trees thinned out and eventually opened up to a beautiful open marsh land. My roommate and wetlands extraordinaire Colleen, gave a presentation on the condition and importance of the wetlands especially in Louisiana. It is not often in the forefront of my mind how crucial the wetlands are to the safety of the city and how much of a buffer healthy wetlands can be during a storm.

I thought this tree was so beautiful with the exposed roots...you can't really tell from this picture but I could almost stand upright under those roots!

Valentina goofing around on the trail!

Our crew listening to Colleen talk with a view of the beautiful marshland.

As you can see from the sign, this Cypress Tree is over 200 years old! Colleen explained it was strange that loggers over the year kept the tree but it's still there and as the sign says..alive in 1812!

Anna Leigh and I showing two ways to wear the Project Homecoming sweatshirt...I'm sporting the preppy shoulder wrap and Anna Leigh is showing off the sweatshirt around the waist look. What's your favorite?

The wetlands in our area are essential for helping reduce storm surges. Replanting grasses can vastly improve harmed areas in just a matter of months. Salt water erosion has been harming the wetlands at an alarming rate and many trees have suffered due to the inability to tolerate high salt water levels. The statistic that stood out to me the most, however, is that Louisiana loses a football field of wetlands every hour. It is very scary to realize how much our society and culture has been hurting the land. We also learned that 51% of the continental US is in the Mississippi Watershed. That means that every bit of fertilizer, oil, paint, sediments, anything that finds its way into the Mississippi River will eventually end up in Louisiana and eventually in the Gulf.

This is a map that shows the extent of the Mississippi watershed and demonstrates how everything drains right into New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico!

It was so nice to get out of the office and experience nature. Although there are a lot of harmful things happening to the wetlands, I feel so fortunate that I am able to learn about these problems and be aware of them. Colleen is a real advocate for "everything little thing matters" and I could not agree with her more. These problems in the wetlands feel so overwhelming but if every individual can do the little things, they can add up and make a big difference. I truly, truly believe that.

Lesson from the Journey: Spanish moss is absolutely beautiful.

It's December Already?

The past week has been a whirlwind of traveling, visitors, food comas, laughing, and celebrating. I spent my first Thanksgiving away from my family and although I missed our usual traditions of hiking and my grandma's cooking, I had a great Thanksgiving in the Big Easy. My college friend came to visit and we spent the entire week eating amazing food, seeing the sights and listening to music. I guess you can officially say I am a local since I was knowledgeable enough to show someone around! I got pretty good feedback on my tour guide skills as well.

I took my friend Vinny to get a Huge Ass Beer on Bourbon Street upon his arrival...this one is 32 oz. but the biggest beer comes in a giant plastic bottle and is 70 oz!

Our hotel room view... we had a great view of the Mississippi River and the Crescent City Connection Bridge.

The Thanksgiving Day Parade that happened right on Canal Street!

After Thanksgiving Dinner we went to the Howlin' Wolf and saw the infamous brass band Rebirth play!

It is currently 75 degrees today in New Orleans and it is December 3rd. DECEMBER 3rd PEOPLE! The weather here is crazy and I am not sure if I will ever get used to its indecisiveness. I head back to New Jersey in 16 days (where the weather will be more consistent I am sure) and I would be lying if I said I wasn't crazy excited to see my family. It's been just about 4 months since I've seen them, which marks the longest that I have ever been apart from them. I can't wait to spend some quality holiday time with all of them.

Lesson from the Journey: For Thanksgiving dinner I ate a restaurant called Ralph's on the Park which overlooks City Park. They had a three course prefix menu for the holiday so I naturally knew what I was ordering 3 weeks in advance. I knew that the blue crab beignet appetizer was going to be delicious but I never imagined it would be quite possibly the best thing I ever ate. I think everyone and their sister should eat one of these bad boys at least once in their lifetime. Delicious.

BLUE CRAB BEIGNETS PEOPLE!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am blessed to say that I have many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family, my friends new and old, the city of New Orleans, the YAV experience, my job at Project Homecoming, the growth I have seen in myself the past 4 months, the amazing food I have been so fortunate to eat and the music that continues to leave me speechless. But there is something more specific that I would like to take the time to thank this year. I would like to thank all the readers of my blog that is now (thanks to the consistent support and positive feedback from those who read it) going on it's fourth month of existence.

I have always loved writing and my mom always likes to tell me this story of when I was in 2nd grade when my teacher would always report during parent teacher conferences that I would fill pages with creative writing, always having so much to say. My interest in math during my later school years drastically put my writing on hold and I am so ecstatic that I now have an outlet to write and document my time here in New Orleans. More importantly, I am happy that people actually read it and seem to enjoy it. It means the world to me that people are interested in my story as I stumble through this journey of service, growth and reflection.

I've been told that your twenties are full of transition and constant change as you try and find your place in the "real world". I can attest the feeling of just barely keeping my head above water as I am figuring out what makes me happy and what impact I want to make in the world. I am excited to say that this year has given me the time and space to explore myself while getting to know a new place and people completely different from myself. So thank you to everyone has read my blog from the beginning, only read a few posts or the people who this may be their post! You all give me the confidence to continue my writing which is truly something to be thankful for.

Lesson from the Journey: Having people support something you love to do is the most satisfying and affirming feeling that I cannot express how thankful I am for having. Thank you.

I Am Such a 4

Over time humans have constructed various techniques for interpreting personality types based on factors ranging from horoscopes to palm readings to answering a serious of questions that depending on your answer will spit out a description of the way your mind works. Although there is much controversy surrounding the validity of these methods, after taking the enneagram test with my housemates one could say I've become a believer. It's actually funny because the thought that I can't be defined by personality tests (because no one test could possibly encompass my complex nature) is one of the main components of being a 4 on the enneagram. Funny how that works.

Before I start jumping into the clarity that this personality test brought me, it would be helpful to explain what the enneagram personality test is and how it works. For starters, the word enneagram is derived from two Greek words - ennea, meaning "nine" and gramma, meaning something "written" or "drawn". There are 9 personalities on the enneagram that are all interconnected and represented (or drawn) in a geometric figure. The most interesting aspect of the enneagram test (that I actually find strangely appealing) is that since the test is described as a method for self-understanding and self-reflection (welcome to my YAV year) that it is subject to interpretation makes it difficult to test and validate scientifically. This also means that you and you alone have the final say on what your number is because the test is meant for the individual. How empowering is that?

The enneagram also breaks up the 9 numbers into 3 categories: 8, 9, 1 are action centered, 5, 6, 7 are thinking centered and 2, 3, 4 are feeling centered. 

The 9 personality types are derived from 9 deadly sins or vices, which makes the enneagram inherently point to our flaws. This can be challenging to accept and work through but ultimately I found that the enneagram articulated aspects of my personality that I have had trouble making sense of my entire life. It's a truly powerful and frankly, weird experience to be understood by a paragraph of text as well as the enneagram understood me. To further things, the lines connecting certain numbers on the diagram indicate a certain personality types "stress" and "security" points. For instance, as a 4 when I am healthy and in good spirits I take on the positive characteristics of a 1 but when I am feeling stressed or am in a bad place I resemble some of the flaws of a 2. In addition, the numbers on either side of a personality type (for a 4, it would be 3 and 5) are called wings. Every personality type is pushed towards one of these wings more so than the other, coloring their personality even further. So essentially, a personality has a dominant number (for me it's 4), stress and security numbers (for me they are 1 and 2) and a wing number (for me it's 5) thus having 4 numbers make up their personality. 

The sins/vices that are associated with each personality type are often not meant in the context that we are accustomed to. For instance, the sloth aspect of a 9 is not a physically laziness but a laziness in recognizing one's own feelings.

Discovering that I am a 4 has honestly fascinated me. I identify with the description intensely and have really spent the past few days researching my personality type and the enneagram itself. Learning about yourself in this way is exciting. Perhaps it's because: "healthy fours are not afraid to see themselves 'warts and all'. They are willing to reveal highly personal and potentially shameful things about themselves because they are determined to understand the truth of their experience - so that they can discover who they are and come to terms with their emotional history." I honestly feel like I have been introduced to myself. 

The enneagram also revealed aspects of my own personality that I knew to be true but had been repressing because certain things about yourself are incredibly hard to admit and work through. "Fours often report that they feel they are missing something in themselves, although they may have difficulty identifying exactly what that 'something' is. Is it will power? Social ease? Self-confidence? Emotional tranquility? - all of which they see in others, seemingly in abundance. Given time and sufficient perspective, fours generally recognize that they are unsure about aspects of their own self-image. They feel that they lack a clear and stable identity, particularly a social persona that they feel comfortable with." This struck me the most out the entire description of the 4 personality type. To have one of my biggest insecurities stare at me in the face was like saying, "HEY! YOU CAN'T IGNORE ME ANYMORE!" I feel truly empowered and equipped to start to work through some of my insecurities and become a better person (after all that's what this year is all about, right?)

In addition, doing the enneagram test with my 7 housemates and site coordinator gave me incredible insight on why they are the way they are, what they struggle with and the ways in which their needs are met. Learning about the people that you live with through their flaws and weaknesses and needs is sort of like a series of "a-ha!" moments. So that's why you are the way you are. It makes so much more sense now. And surprisingly, the eight of us were all different personality types (every one excluding 7) which highlights just how different we all are. 

If you want to take the enneagram test and see what your number is, click here (classical test).

If you want to read about all the personality types and learn more about enneagrams, click here.

NOTE: When I first took the test, it said I was 2 and then upon reading the descriptions discovered that I am nothing else but a 4. So if this peaks your interest like it did mine, I really suggest doing a combination of both. Let me know what your number is if you decide to do it! 

Lesson from the Journey: We are all so beautiful and flawed and different and wonderful.

Cheese, Face Paint and SPCA

This past week has been pretty low key. We had two small groups of volunteers travel from Kansas and Florida to help on our Terpsichore and Annunciation work sites. I spent the beginning of the week in a sort of "funk" I guess you could say, with the passing of my friend combined with the stresses of life had felt especially overwhelming. Tuesday night we had our weekly meeting and I was dreading spending 2 hours talking about my feelings that at that point felt were spilling out of my eye balls. Fortunately, the meeting turned out to be exactly what I needed. We had all been asked to answer a series of questions pertaining to our thoughts on New Orleans, our community, our work placements, our worship spaces and aspects of all those things we felt needed attention. As I read what I had prepared, I felt a huge weight lift off my heart. Talking about why I love New Orleans, the unique characteristics that make up my amazing housemates and even the things that I have been struggling with while being here suddenly became therapeutic instead of a heavy burden when spoken aloud. Almost immediately after the meeting, I was out of my funk and into my normal silly, laughing, weird self. I was extremely grateful for that meeting.

Friday night I had this genius idea to go to St. James Cheese Company for happy hour. Let's say this is definitely one of the better decisions I have made. The cheese plate was big enough to share between two people, so we buddied up, ordered some wine and $11 later I was enjoying some of the most delicious cheese, bread and jam I have ever had. They also serve gourmet sandwiches, sell cheeses by the pound and even had pecan cheesecake that was actually to die for. I was lucky enough to get a bite from my roommate Kalyn when she ordered it! I cannot wait to go back.

My cheese plate...3 types of cheese, jam, grapes and honey walnuts!

On Saturday, I headed over to the garden that my roommate Jess runs. She had a BBQ to promote interest in the garden and meet more of the community. I ended up on coloring and face painting duty (let's say I am not good at drawing lightning bolts...I had to convince the kids that they definitely wanted a spaceship or a muffin but a lightning bolt? They didn't want that...) There was delicious pulled pork, baked beans, red beans and rice, salad and cookies that were promptly devoured. I met this little girl Bri and we basically became best friends. I was flattered that she insisted sitting on my lap the entire time I was face painting...not that she was bored or anything. She must have spent 20 minutes admiring her reflecting in the mirror we had at the face painting station and putting herself into a fit of giggles every time she flipped the mirror over and suddenly her face was magnified 10x.

Me and my new best friend Bri :) She was precious!

Anna Leigh and Sydney playing with tape...what kid doesn't like tape?

Coloring station and make your own grass seed people!

Emily face painting a batman symbol! 

The best part of my weekend though was heading to the Louisiana SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for my two month in the making orientation session. Due to retreats, community service and other conflicts, I had to delay going to orientation for two months! I plan on volunteering about 10 hours a month playing with cats and dogs and even bunnies! I thought I was pretty indifferent about bunnies until I held one on Saturday and all it wanted to do was lay on my chest and wiggle it's nose. The girl who oversees the bunnies told me that bunnies love being held on people's chests because they find comfort in feeling and hearing the heartbeat. Also, if you observe the bunny, it's nose wiggling will slow down often to match your heartbeat. How incredible is that? Since having a pet will not fit into my life in the foreseeable future, this is a great alternative to get to interact with animals.

Finally, I will leave you with this adorable video of a little girl's first walk on ice. It might possibly be the cutest thing you see today or ever.




Lesson from the Journey: Wine and cheese happy hour makes you feel oh so classy.

3 Festivals and a Tragedy

These past few days have been filled with many delights including my very own birthday celebration. For some reason turning 23 feels like the oldest birthday I have had. I know that sounds strangely obvious (23 is the oldest I have turned thus far) but I think there is some unfamiliarity of having a birthday when you are no longer in school and even more so in celebrating your birthday in a city you are still getting to know. I did have a fabulous weekend though and I thank all my wonderful New Orleans housemates and friends for making my birthday special. I spent Saturday night celebrating at my favorite bar Maison on Frenchman Street. A fabulous brass band was playing and even covered one of my all time favorite rap songs by 50 Cent called "21 Questions", which was indescribably awesome. I talked to the trumpet player after their set and he complimented me on not only my recognition for the song but my enthusiasm for it. Win.

My (belated) birthday lunch at Good Time Sushi Friday afternoon - Philadelphia Roll and Volcano Roll. To. Die. For.

What would a birthday be without some Jenga? I also took the picture at the perfect time because the tower collapsed on the next move.

Before all these birthday celebrations ensued, however, Valentina and I attended Fess Fest at New Orleans' infamous bar and music spot Tipitina's on Thursday evening. It was a fundraiser for Professor Longhair's house that included performances by Hugh Laurie, Joe Jackson and several high school students. Tipitina's is known for supporting local musical talent and these high school students, aged 12-17 playing any instrument from trumpet to clarinet, quite literally left me speechless. One boy played the trumpet so fluidly it was like each note fell into the other. I couldn't keep still and found myself dancing and cheering instinctively. Hugh Laurie is excellent on piano and had two duets with beautiful woman voices that made me question why I have not been blessed with such a gorgeous voice. It was a great night of music and entertainment for an amazing cause. The show sold out and I know Project Homecoming was especially excited about that.

Tipitina's! If you are interested in learning a little more about their history and all the famous names that have played there (there are many), click here.

I highly suggest watching this video all the way through! The trumpet player that blew me away (no pun intended) begins at around 1:30. I hope these kids impress you as much as they impressed me.

Hugh Laurie playing the piano and singing Go To The Mardi Gras! Amazing.

Following an extremely lazy Friday, I attended Gumbo Fest at Armstrong Park in the the wonderful neighborhood Treme on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. Armstrong Park is beautiful with it's grand, welcoming arch, water fountains and bridges. The park was packed with gumbo stands and tents filled with art, clothing and jewelry. I decided that I am not a fan of gumbo (so un-New Orleans of me!) but I was a HUGE fan of the shrimp and corn roasted cheesy grits. I actually liked them so much, I plan to go to the restaurant and eat them again. Delicious. We walked around the park eating our treats, drinking Abita, and laying in the grass. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees and sunny and a perfect day to be out and about.

Gumbo on gumbo on gumbo!

My shrimp and roasted corn cheesy grits...my first but definitely not my last.

Sydney, Colleen, Anna Leigh, Emily, Hannah, and I all enjoying Gumbo Fest! 

Having a weekend filled with such fun and New Orleans specific entertainment, it's strange to think that I also experienced a terrible tragedy this weekend as well. One of my friends from college passed away Friday evening from a heroin overdose. It is tragedies like this that put me in a place of extreme questioning and self reflection. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends who are even more directly affected by this terrible event than I am. It is also times like this where I struggle with the distance that I have put between myself and those that I love. Grieving from a distance is very difficult - I want nothing more than to hug and be hugged by my home friends during hard times like this. I have realized, after much thought, that there are many layers to being present and not all of them require your physical body being there. Being physically present in New Orleans is what I need right now and finding the balance between being here and supporting my grieving friends through technology is something new to me. I am still perfecting it.

Lesson from the Journey: One of the goals that I set for myself this YAV year was to become more emotionally independent. For so long I have relied on friends, family and love interests to be the foundation and support for my emotions both happy and sad. Creating separation from a lot of that support has been extremely difficult and has left me feeling painfully lonely at times. But as time passes it is becoming evident that I am more independent than I thought and although I have not mastered this by any means, I am growing stronger and more confident in myself alone every day.

Steamboat Natchez

I must apologize in advance for writing this post 3 days late but since today is my birthday no one is allowed to get mad at me for it being late! That being said, I am also not posting this late because I didn't have a good time aboard the Steamboat Natchez - in fact I had an opposite experience! I had a great time meeting up with the Disdiers (family friends) and a few of their friends. It was a treat to go for a boat ride, eat some brunch and listen to some jazz!

The Steamboat Natchez! 

So like most attractions these days, there are usually photographers that take your picture before and then the pictures are available for purchase afterwards. Since I have been in New Orleans, I have met many people - including one of the photographers on the Steamboat Natchez! My friend Rose, gave me the pictures that they took before the boat ride for free! *hair toss* It was a windy day but I think the picture turned out great (especially for being free!)

How cute is the steering wheel of the ship in front of us?

We couldn't have asked for a better day to be on a boat. It was windy but sitting in the sun was warm and the cool breeze was welcomed. The brunch was pretty delicious - especially the bread pudding and beignets! I think my favorite part of the ride was getting an excellent view of the Crescent City Connection Bridge which stretches over the Mississippi River connecting New Orleans to the West Bank.

Crescent City Connection Bridge

But of course fun and surprises in New Orleans are never isolated. As soon as we got off the Steamboat we were greeted with high school kids playing music, live statues posing so still you had to double take and adorable dogs dressed in Saints gear for the game that day! I love that everyone you go in New Orleans, you have to constantly be alert or you will something amazing.

Live statue right off the exit of the steamboat... he (and the stuffed animal dog) stayed still like that the entire time I was looking!

Me holding possibly the world's cutest dog...decked out in a Saints jersey, sunglasses and booties!

It was a great Sunday and I am so thankful that the Disdiers took me along for this awesome experience. It's also always nice to have a little piece of home because as much as I love this city, I do miss New Jersey a lot. This day will definitely be one to remember because I don't know if I ever would have done this otherwise!

My view walking from the parking lot to the Steamboat...how beautiful is this city?

Lesson from the Journey: I think the live statues in New Orleans might give the London guards a run for their money...people were posing with him and trying to distract him and he didn't flinch...even in that difficult pose! Impressive.

Happy November!

It is finally here....my favorite month of the year! I know you might not think you have a favorite month of the year, but trust me you do. And it's November! Here are the top 8 reasons why you should love November (almost) as much as I do:

8. November is the 11th month of the year and 11 is my favorite number. Already a sign that it's going to be the best month of them all.

7. Daylight Savings! Always remember spring forward, fall back...meaning November brings you an extra hour of sleep! What other month looks out for your well being like that?

6. November means fall and fall means great weather. Although the seasons aren't as defined in New Orleans as I am used to back up in Jersey, the weather has definitely gotten nicer. Not as humid, a little bit cooler, and overall has a more fall feeling.

5. Fall allows me to wear some of my favorite articles of clothing including sweatshirts, sweaters, scarves, leggings, and boots. Especially boots. I think if the weather permitted and I had enough money to indulge on this habit I would wear boots every day. I thank fall and especially November for allowing this to happen.

4. No shave November. Men everywhere let their beards flow as they put down the razor and show the world what kind of beard they can (or can't) grow. It's always entertaining to find out that although your best friend looks great clean shaven it is not by choice - he physically cannot grow more than a few baby hairs on his chin. Also, what girl doesn't like the caveman look?

3. Pumpkin pie season! All the leftover pumpkins from Halloween are not useless, in fact they are transformed into one of the most delicious foods of all time. I am not ashamed to admit that yes, I have eaten an entire pumpkin pie by myself throughout the course of one day, and I am not sorry about it. In addition, pumpkin everything becomes available - pumpkin beer, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins...the list goes on and it makes me very happy.

2. Thanksgiving embodies so many things that I love. I could easily make another list about my top 8 reasons why I love Thanksgiving. That list would include eating traditional delicious Thanksgiving foods in large amounts including turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and mashed potatoes, spending quality time with friends and family, and in my family tradition going on our annual Thanksgiving hike in western Pennsylvania. The spirit of this holiday is unmatched and there is not much I don't like about it. This year, however, will be my first year spending Thanksgiving without my family and away from home. I'm sure it will still be great but I will definitely be missing the tradition.

1. And of course, the best thing about November is...my birthday! I was born November 6 and will turn 23 in just a few short days. I wouldn't call myself a birthday diva but hey, who doesn't like a day devoted to celebrating you? I am excited to celebrate this birthday in New Orleans with some amazing new friends.

Lesson from the Journey: No lesson this post. Just an overwhelming love for November.