Friends in Town

I am glowing from this past weekend! Three of my college friends made the trip to New Orleans and I got to show them this amazing city. It's always nice when people visit because even though I have lived here for 7 months there is still so much for me to see and learn. I cannot think of a better combination than having your best friends in town to explore a new city while reminiscing on old times. I got to show them some of my favorite spots while also trying out some new places that have been on my list. I've been missing home so to have my best friends make the trip made me incredibly happy on so many levels.

Elana, Ariel, me and Mallory enjoying Bloody Mary's and mimosas outside of the Ruby Slipper while we waited for our table! The Ruby Slipper is by far my favorite breakfast place in the city. If you come and visit me, I guarantee I will take you there!

Mallory and her first official Mardi Gras beads! While walking around the quarter a parade was coming through and we got some of the goods!

Mallory and I made a statue friend in the quarter!

We walked through the French Market which sells jewelry, food, drinks, clothes...you name it! We all got matching bracelets and delicious drinks :)

Ariel couldn't resist getting corn in the French Market! She bought some Mardi Gras goodies to get in the spirit :)

We found a Mardi Gras Indian! I was personally so pumped about this because I find Mardi Gras Indians fascinating. I also am so impressed that they hand make a costume each year. The costume that this Indian is wearing was from last year (all the feathering and beading is done by hand) and he told us that his new costume was bigger, better and blue!

Me posing in front of a funny sign in City Park. It was gorgeous out on Saturday afternoon so we walked around city park, ate beignets at the Morning Call and explored the Sculpture Garden!

Beignets! The Morning Call in my opinion has superior beignets to Cafe du Monde. It's also located in beautiful City Park with beautiful oak trees and spanish moss. It was my friends first beignets and they loved them (but I mean c'mon who doesn't like fried dough with powdered sugar?)

Mallory and I posing in front of the LOVE sign in the Sculpture Garden!

Elevator selfie getting ready to hit up Bourbon street wearing some of the beads we got from the parade earlier in the day. Doesn't Elana look beautiful?

The infamous Huge Ass Beers! 

All of us wearing our hats at Parkway Bakery! Parkway is one of the most famous Po-Boy places in New Orleans. I hadn't been since my first week in New Orleans - it was just as delicious as I remember. 

THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN IN ALL THE LAND! Melba's is hands down my favorite fried chicken place in New Orleans. It is also ridiculously cheap. The 4 of us split 20 wings and french fries and it cost us $4 each! I don't know how they make their wings so juicy and delicious - it will be hard to top this fried chicken. 

It was so wonderful to have my friends in town. I love them all so much and it can be so difficult being away from home at times. Them all being here was like having a little piece of home and such a comfort. I must admit though I almost cried when I had to drop them off at the airport - no part of me wanted them to leave. I have done some amazing things and met some awesome people while being here in New Orleans but not many people know me like those girls. Them being here soothed a lot of the homesickness I have on a daily basis but also intensified it as well. Such a weird and emotionally draining dynamic. It's funny how sometimes I feel so affirmed in my decision to move to New Orleans while other times I just want to be around people and places I know. When my friends were here all I wanted to do was get on the plane and go home with them. However, I don't want to dwell on the things that cannot be. I would rather focus my energy on being grateful for the amazing friends I have - so amazing that they came and visited me and spent an entire weekend letting me show them around. I just wish it could happen more often!


Lesson from the Journey: The city is much different during Mardi Gras season in ways that I never expected, my least favorite change thus far has been my favorite bar on Frenchman Street having DJ's instead of hosting their usual array of brass bands. That's my favorite part of New Orleans - bring back the brass!