I Heart New Orleans

It's crazy to hear the words "I love New Orleans" come out of my mouth so early into my time here but it couldn't be more true! I have felt nothing less than extremely welcomed in a city that is bursting at the seams with energy, history and many, many quirks! I decided to list a few things that have really struck me about the city thus far...enjoy!

1. Being from New Jersey where sports affiliations are always split between Jets and Giants, Mets and Yankees it is awesome to be a part of the city that can't imagine anyone being anything but a Saints fan! Saints gear is sold everywhere...and I literally mean everywhere: grocery stores, restaurants, bars, on the street...you name it! Everyone in the entire city adjusts their schedules to be able to watch the game and cheer on their team. Tomorrow is the Saints first game of the season and I cannot wait to watch it with such die hard fans.

I found this picture online - church goers all wearing their Saints gear before the 2010 Superbowl game! Dedication!

2. The cemeteries are above ground! Since most of New Orleans is located below sea level, the water tables are very close to the grounds surface. This means that people cannot be buried under ground because it would affect the water tables. So instead of tombstones (which is what I am used to a cemetery looking like) cemeteries in New Orleans house large marble "houses" in which to bury their dead. It gives the entire cemetery a completely different feel and I was excited to learn that the difference had a purpose!

3. Live music is a huge presence in New Orleans - most restaurants and bars feature live artists almost daily. Last night I explored Frenchman Street with a few of my housemates and work friends. We went to three different bars and experienced three different types of music! The first bar featured a 5 piece band with a rock and roll feel who did mostly covers of old songs. The second bar housed a 7 piece mostly band (or 8 if you count the fan that started playing his trumpet along with them!) that had a jazzy/swing feel to it. The lead singer could tap dance and even had a choreographed dance with a young woman that blew me away. All the instruments got a chance to do a solo throughout the set including trumpet, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, drums, bass and guitar. We ended the night listening to a reggae/funk type band which solidified how diverse the night had been musically. I don't know any other place where this kind of night could even be possible! It was truly awesome.

Lesson from the Journey: Going out and exploring with no expectations has proven the best way to get to know a new place.