Farewell NOLA

Goodbye bags

Outer

            Today is the last day in New Orleans. We met outside of Café Du Monde and were given our instructions for the day. The French Quarter seemed to be quieter today. There were not as many tourists. There was also less homeless on the benches outside the St. Louis Cathedral. There was not as many vendors setting up shop at this time. The artists were fewer and far between along the gates of Jackson Square. Today we had an hour and a half to go back to our favorite place and take a picture in front of it. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go back to my favorite place and get a picture of it. However, I did have a second favorite place and it was close enough to go to. My ultimate favorite place to go to was Charity Hospital. The second place that was my favorite would have been the Presbytere Museum. I feel like there is so much to see and learn from both places. Since I am a nursing student as most of us are the hospital just is the heart of one of the tragic stories. The Presbytere was wall to wall Katrina information on the main floor.

The Presbytere

            I will miss the city of New Orleans. It was an educational and fun experience. I feel like I came home with massive amounts of information I did not know before. I will miss NOLA. I will miss the friends that were made. I will miss the people of New Orleans and all the art and great music. The last morning, we were there, I happened to be sitting down by the river to take it all in one last time. To the right of me was a couple and three dogs. They looked homeless but yet not. They looked like they were hippies and free. A lady told me that they call them Nomads. The man had a white spotted medium dog on a leash. Another dog had a jacket on with a hood, and was walking around free. Then the third dog the lady had on a leash. The lady had dirty blonde, dishwater dreads. She had a large, dirty, Carhart hoodie, and overalls on. The overalls were not on properly and hung at her waist. She had what looked like steel toe boots on as well. She looked rugged, like she had not showered or washed her clothes in months. The man who was sitting on the steps, had on a hoodie/jacket. He also had a motorcycle vest on. He had on similar bottoms and boots. The man was rolling cigarettes and a cigar. I am sure it was not just tobacco inside. I watched them for a good 15 minutes as they played with the dogs and played on their phones. I did catch a video of them putting a hat and sunglasses on their dog.

Down By the River

Rolling Fog

Inner

            I have learned a great deal about NOLA. The travel experience alone taught me that I would not want to ride the train unless I had a sleeper car. I can’t say that one thing in particular was my favorite. I feel like the whole experience was my favorite. I enjoy all the tours and the free time to experience NOLA my way. The class gave us lots of opportunity to take what we learned and to go to some of those places and see what it looks like today. Like, for instance taking what impacted me the most which was Charity Hospital and the Super Dome. I took that and went to see it for myself, and what it looked like today. NOLA is like a completely different world and always has been and a majority of people think of it as a party city. Which is just not true at all. It is definitely a town that you can party in but the history of it all is what I would go there for and for all the experiences it has to offer.

            The people of New Orleans are not like any others you will ever meet. They all have their own unique ways of presenting themselves. New Orleans is called the Big Easy. I was told while there a few different reasons why it was called the Big Easy. One in particular was that you could perform and sell on the street and would have a decent chance of being sought out. To me I think it is because you are allowed to be yourself and do this without consequences. Others say it has to do with all the drinking in the street. Another mentioned it about drugs. I am not sure where the actual phrase Big East came from but I think it is something we can take and interpret it how we please.

            I think I learned a lot about myself and insecurities that I have. I think this city taught me to be more of myself no matter what. That it is more fun to be who you are. I also learned that some people are just weird and not meant for me to be close too. We all have things about us and have people we consider friends and that it is okay not to be friends with others.