Street Cars- Elective

I have been fortunate enough to ride on street cars before and I love them. I was so happy to know that we would be able to ride them on our trip to New Orleans too. For the most part, the street cars were not overly crowded. There were only about 1-2 time in the week we were there that people had to stand. I love how you are able to tell who are locals and who the tourists are by the questioning of the conductors. it still amazes me how people argue with the conductors and tell them where they should be going. I like the freedom of the trolleys too. When the days are nice outside with the sun shining and a nice breeze, the windows are able to be lifted to let even more fresh air in. I especially enjoy how the streetcars free up the amount of cars on the roads. The "jazzy passes" we got were good for 3 days, but just taking a 1 way trip on the street car only costs $1.25. This is a lot cheaper than a cab would be and much easier on the feet (especially if you have blisters). I really enjoyed the street cars and appreciate all the conveniences that they offered making it easy to tour the city and the French Quarter. We also learned on our trip that New Orleans has a street car named "Desire" and it is car #952. We did not get a chance to ride that car, but was impressed that there was a street car named after the 1951 American film drama "Street car named Desire".

Food New Orleans style (elective)

I feel that it is very important to begin explaining to anyone that does not know me how much of a foodie I am. I love food. Those of you that know me can attest to the fact that I do not miss a meal. While planning for this trip, I have to admit I was quite a bit nervous about the food that was offered. I have a very "sensitive" palate and have often described table pepper as being too spicy. While this amuses most people, it really is not a laughing matter. I just do not like the taste of spicy foods.
The first night we arrived in New Orleans, our instructor made reservations at The Original Pierre Maspero's. It was a nice restaurant, but it was not enough space reserved for our party of 22. The food was amazing. I had the shrimp and grits, and loved it.
We took a cuisine tour that took us to some local restaurants in the French Quarter. We started out at Antoine's and sampled gumbo and learned about how the roux is made and the importance of the ingredients. I generally shy away from spicy foods (like gumbo), but this gumbo tasted so good that despite its spiciness, I had to eat it and could not stop. When I finished the sample sized cup my lips were burning and I still wanted more. We then walked across the street to Leahs Pralines where we were treated to a sample of fresh made pralines that melted in my mouth. We also sampled candied pecans that were out of this world.  This store was like a dream straight out of Candy Land. We then travelled to La Davina Café y Gelateria where we sampled muffaletta and gelato. The muffaletta here did not even come close to tasting like the delicious one we had the day before from a vendor inside the French Market. As for the gelato, it was just ok. We also visited Arnaud's and sampled shrimp Arnaud, a shrimp in a Creole Remoulade Sauce. This also smelled a bit too spicy for my liking, but because I love shrimp, I tried it, and again to my surprise loved it. Josette and I also split and order of oysters in the half shell, which we both had had before and loved. The best part of going to Arnaud's was that no one else in our group like the "texture" of shrimp, so Josette and I basically had dinner as we ate everyone else's. After Arnaud's we walked to Tujague's. Here we sampled brisket- beef with Creole horseradish sauce. The brisket had a great flavor. I barely tasted the spices and found it to be a bit dry for my liking. Our last stop was Creole Delicacies where we sampled beans and rice, which was way to spicy for me to continue eating. Here we also smelled samples of vanilla, Creole spices, and Creole mustard. All of these were too spicy for me to indulge in, but they did make great gifts for friends and family at home that like the spicy side of life.
We also visited Crillo between museum tours and I tried turtle soup for the first time. It was interesting to say the least. It was not bad at all and had a good flavor, especially with the Sherry that topped it off.
Another interesting item I wanted to try was alligator. The shop at the French Market did not have gator bites at the time, so I opted for a gator sausage instead. This was also amazing. I loved the flavor, even though it was spicy.
I am so happy that I was able to step out of my comfort zone while in a new location to make the food choices that I did. Already knowing that I loved seafood of all kinds made it a no brainer that this was going to be my choice. I definitely loved the food in New Orleans, and have a great deal of respect for those individuals that are able to dive into the spicy.

There's No Place Like Home (Elective)

New Orleans is a wonderful city. I enjoyed preparing for this trip, doing the research, and learning about the rich wonderful history of the city, but it is just not home.
I have been planning for this trip for quite a long time, and after this semester of school, I think it is fair to say I deserve to get away. I have never taken a class trip before, and have never been to New Orleans. Every part of this trip excited me and I could not wait to get away.
After a long train trip, we were eager to arrive in New Orleans. There was so much to see and do, and a lot of tours to museums to visit. The weather was so much warmer in New Orleans and the people were happier than they ever appeared to be in Peoria (huge disclaimer here: except for all that rain). The only problem I had with New Orleans, it is not home.
Home is in Spring Bay Il. I live alone with my 2 cats (yes, I am the official cat lady). Although I loved my room mates in the hotel and we have been friends for over a year now, it was rough sharing my "personal space" with anyone. And there is something to be said about routine. Working full time 3rd shift (6p-6:30a) and going to school full time during the day, I was at least able to find a schedule and a routine that works for me and around my call schedule of being a volunteer firefighter and EMT when I was home. While we were very busy in New Orleans, I was so happy to finally be boarding the train on our last day and heading home.
I had been on the phone with my dad all morning giving him the update on where we were. We were actually ahead of schedule when I made the planned call from Bloomington on the bus, telling him to be ready. He picked us up at the bus station, and when I laid eyes on him after being gone for over a week, I realized he is my true best friend. I am always happy to have my dad, and value every day that I have with him.
When I finally entered my house, the first thing I did was hit the shower (ah, my shower). I unpacked my bags and did a load of laundry. I learned that my cats are capable of carrying a grudge as they did not want anything to do with me for about an hour, but after that hour, I was not able to give them enough attention. My sister called me to check in and see how the trip went, making me realize even more, that no matter where I go or for how long I am gone, I am blessed to have my family and my home. It is good to be home. There is no place like home.

Free Day (Elective)

I love everything about the words free day. I love not having anything to do and not having a set time to do it in. Although we had planned on getting up earlier in the day to get started, we ended up taking our time getting ready. Being a full time student, working full time (3rd shift), and being a volunteer firefighter and EMT, free time is not something I get to experience often. After a rough week of finals, I was immediately put into packing and travelling mode. This free day was something that I had been waiting on for quite a while.

After leaving the hotel in the early afternoon, we boarded the trolley and headed to the French Quarter. We had heard wonderful things about Coops, so we decided to have lunch there. Josette and I both had the oyster and shrimp PoorBoy. This was delicious. I was not overly impressed with Coops because the wait for a drink and to place our order was quite long, and the only thought that kept entering my mind while we were there was "how did this place pass sanitation inspection". The food and music at Coops was good, so I can only imagine that this is why they are still in business.

After lunch, we stopped at Molly's for a "frozen". it was quite delicious also. I particularly love the freedom of being able to order a drink and then walk out of the bar to drink it while shopping. So we drank as we walked to The French Market.

We had been to the French Market before, but this time we went with a mission --shopping. Because of work and school, I did not have time to do any Christmas shopping before our trip, so I was doing my Christmas shopping today New Orleans style at the French Market. Prior to leaving for our trip, I had asked my parents if there was anything particular they would like for me to get for them. The only request my father had was a New Orleans t-shirt that has a front pocket. I literally asked every vendor at the French Market if they had such an item and was turned down each time. After doing some shopping (some for myself too), we hit the streets and the stores along the French Quarter. I literally went into over 50 shops and asked for a t-shirt with a front pocket, and ended up with the same results. So, the one and only special request I got was an Epic fail.

We then went to Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. I had wanted to do this and had heard of the stories and of all the voodoo that was in New Orleans. I heard that there were even television shows that featured Marie Laveau and definitely plan on watching them when I get home. I got a couple of gifts there also. I am so excited to give these gifts.

After shopping, we stopped at El Gatro to have a drink and some Mexican food for dinner. It was a great dinner, and especially enjoyed watching them make the guacamole at the tableside. The food and the drinks were good here and were much needed after a long hard (lol) day of shopping.

Farewell to New Orleans

Today on our last day in New Orleans, we met at Café du Monde for café au lait and beignets. This was a great find in New Orleans and definitely worth the trip to itself. After Café du Monde, we went  to the French Market. The French Market was my favorite place in the French Quarter because it represented the city in one location. I was able to do most of, if not all, of my Christmas shopping and souvenir shopping in this one location. This are as best described as a giant flea market outside that had everything from local favorite eats to handmade jewelry and clothing that represents New Orleans. There were stands that sold fresh oysters in the half shell and shrimp and local favorite beverages making this the perfect place to be. I loved this market and declare it a must go to place for anyone visiting New Orleans. I had my very first alligator sausage on a stick here and also shared a muffuletta sandwich with my friends. Almost anything and everything you would want in New Orleans could be found at the French Market. The isles were very crowded and the vendors were very pleasant. I would definitely visit the French Market every day if I lived closer and were able to every day.

My  favorite part of our class trip was the tours that we took. They were all very educational and told their own stories. I especially enjoyed the Hansen's Museum and the Ghost tour that we took. The tour guides were all very friendly and really knew their stuff. I especially enjoyed the fact that if I were to travel to New Orleans on a vacation instead of as a class trip, I probably would not have visited some of the museums and taken the tours that we did. I entered this trip with the expectation of trying many different cuisines and to be as adventurous as possible with my food choices. I am happy to admit that I lived up to this expectation and found that I enjoyed it more than I thought possible.

I also learned a lot about the history and the people of New Orleans. The locals are very proud of their city and are happy to show it off to anyone with an interest. I almost sensed a feeling of celebration and freedom. The history of New Orleans is very rich and the personalities and history are equally rich with their historical roots. The liveliness on the streets is contagious. I learned a lot about New Orleans as well as myself while on this class trip. I learned a lot about the history and its founders. There are many different cultures still alive today in this one location. I believe that is what I enjoyed the most. There was a sense that everyone belonged and that everyone respected each other. I had heard a lot about a high crime rate in New Orleans and was somewhat worried about this at first, but I felt very safe with the high presence of police. We were also smart about where we travelled to and did not travel alone. I learned that New Orleans is a very happy city and despite all the hard times they have had with natural disasters, fires, and haunted spirits, the community pulls together. I appreciate the way the community speaks as one and is a happy city in general .

Presbytere and Cabildo

The Presbytere

The Presbytere was originally supposed to be here the clergy for the cathedral lived. It is currently separated into two different museums. The first floor is the Hurricane Katrina exhibit while the second floor is a Mardi Gras Museum.

Hurricane Katrina

As we entered the museum, the overwhelming sound of flowing water was the first to catch my attention.  The sounds and anxiety that I remembered seeing on television from the Hurricane 5 disaster on August 29, 2005 flooded my emotions and brought back a sense of terror and fright. Although the massive storm hit on Aug 29^th, the majority of its damage occurred days after it hit land.  There were video’s playing of how the community stuck together and differed greatly from what I recalled on television by showing hero’s and how the community stuck together instead of the ‘victims” that were displayed on the news. Many neighbors helped each other and even came to the rescue of their neighbors in their time of need. Just hearing the stories being told by the survivors created a chill up my spine. I was never really able to grasp the many levels of failure that lead up to the devastation until I saw the video that mapped out the different levies and breaches that occurred in various locations all over the city. Seeing where and how the over 50 breaches occurred and how that caused death and destruction brought a sense of realization that was not able to seen through any news or television program. It actually put the damage into perspective from a human stand point. The lack of preparation and a “rescue” plan was an epic failure at best. There was no plan in place for anyone. Listening to people tell their stories of how they were all crammed into the Superdome and were forced to sleep with their families on the cement floors that were also used as restrooms. One video that brought tears to my eyes was the story told by a man at a hospital that actually saw the Presidents helicopter fly over and how he thought that meant being rescued and how it was heartening to see that same helicopter fly away while they were still trapped. The hospitals were all without power and the lifesaving measures that were necessary for daily operations. This was just one of the examples of how the community stuck together to help each other and gave their all to survive.  The Hurricane Katrina Museum was a very interesting and educational experience that I am glad to have had. There is no way I would have ever been able to understand the degree of damage and emotions from one natural disaster without visiting this exhibit. As a volunteer firefighter and EMT, I was especially impressed with how the community pulled together with the help of the first responders. Living along the Illinois River, I have spent many years sandbagging, but never to this degree. This exhibit really hit home with me realizing how natural disasters are never able to be predicted, but how history has taught us how to be prepared for the unexpected.

Mardi Gras Museum

While the first floor showed a level of destruction that was depressing to view, the second floor displayed an almost festive and carnival sensation. The extraordinary costumes that had been worn during several different parades displayed were cheerful and a delight to see. A great amount of time had to have been spent making these costumes with feathers, beads and jewels. The crowns and tiaras were simply amazing and fitting for any king or queen.  It is no wonder that New Orleans is known for Mardi Gras with a display as beautiful as this. It was very interesting to see how the costumes and floats changed throughout the generations, but still represented a festive demeanor. The pictures on the walls showed the images in black and white, but the displays revealed the bright colors that created the vibrant decorations and costumes. I have personally never attended Mardi Gras, but after seeing the displays along with the festive atmosphere of New Orleans itself, I defiantly plan on attending Mardi Gras in the near future.

The Cabildo

The Cabildo is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in New Orleans. There were pictures of some of the most famous person’s and events in Louisiana’s history.  Pictures and displays of items from the Battle of  New Orleans and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, the founder of New Orleans as well as displays and pieces from the Native Americans when they first arrived. This was one of the best tours we took because it had a lot of displays we were able to have hands on with (battle drums) and original displays of Andrew Jackson’s uniform, the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, and the original plans of the building. There was a lot of information given about slavery and the development of the city. Besides the historical information found inside the Cabildo, the building itself was amazing. We were able to stand on the balcony and see the entire town square. This was one of the greatest views that I observed on the entire trip. The view of the town on a weekend morning while the city was alive with action and a festive feeling was in the air. The history and the exhibits at the Cabildo made this a great educational and informative visit.  

Local artists

White traveling and touring the city of New Orleans, I saw some beautiful pieces of artwork. It was very hard to find one particular place that stood out more than any other. Many of my favorites were located around the square another one of my particular favorite pieces were at a shop called PHOTO WORKS located on Jackson Square at St, Ann the artist there was Louis Sahuc. Louis Sahuc is a freelance photographer and French Quarter preservationist. He currently lives and works on Jackson Square. Louis was fortunatly at the shoo when we visited and states that he fell in love with New Orleans as a little boy in the 1940s and 50s.he went to college and worked a retail job in sales before finding photography. It was in the early 1970s for advertising, fashion, architecture, corporate, editorial and private clients, but his favorite has always been of New Orleans. Photo Works was opened in 1995 and he began showing the architecture and uniqueness of life in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Photo Works photographs are signed and numbered limited edition artwork. All photographs are available 13″ x 19 or 17″ x 22″. Most are available 20″ x 24".
 The picture above is titled "Red Sky". This was one of my favorite  pieces as it appears to be very subtle and simple but yet encompasses so much of the past, present, and future of New Orleans  I found this piece to be very focused as most of the photos at Photo Works sre, and is able to tell a large amount of history and information in a very uncomplicated manner.

Another  of my favorites is "Orleans St".  This particular piece stood out to me because it also is uncomplicated, but very direct in where the historical roots of this town originates. It also makes me realize that despite all the misfortune that has striken this city, it will always be able to see the good and prevail  all of the different cultures and lifestyles ultimately are reflected with this one single shot 

Whitney Plantation & Hansens Museum

Whitney Plantation 

The tour guide Delon stated "even your own foot steps do not belong to you".  This is the story of slavery as expressed by its survivors. The whole experience is from the survivors and it is their stories recall their time spent in slavery as children and teenagers.

The Children of Whitney, sculptures by Ohio-based artist Woodrow Nash, represent  former slaves as they were at the time of emancipation: children. My designated sculpture was Catherine. As we heard the stories about these children and read their writings on the wall.  The Wall of Honor is a memorial dedicated to all the people who were enslaved on the Whitney Plantation. The names and the information related to them (origin, age, skills) were retrieved from original records with as much information as possible, and engraved on granite slabs.I was able to hear the words as if they were coming from a small child. We were able to hear about the lives of the enslaved workers based on the recollections of those who actually lived these stories beginning as small children.

We toured the land where the slaves were kept and the homes they lived in. It was a very disturbing scene and to hear the tour guide explain how high the death rate was, how hot the summers were, and the amount of taxing labor these individuals had to endure on a  basis created chills down my spine, multiplied by knowing most of them were children.

Although this was probably the most somber tour as to date, it was also the most informative and interesting. It was fascinating to be able to see and hear the stories of the slaves, by the slaves. 

Hansens museum 

The National Hansen’s Disease Programs is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We rented two vans and took the one hour trip to the only facility in the United States devoted to diagnosis, treatment, and research concerningu Hansen’s Disease. Legislature declared in 1882 that person’s diagnosed with leprosy in the state are to be quarantined to a selected location, and it was this location we toured. We learned that 95 of people have natural protection against the bacteria that cause HD. For unknown reasons, there are a few people who have little or no protection, so they can get the disease from close contact to an untreated person 

Throughout the tour we were able to see some of the artwork that was done by the patient,Mardi Gras costumes and floats, some of the equipment that was used for sports (softball mits, bicycles, and golf clubs).

It was also interesting to see that some of the occupational therapy items that are still being used today were on display and were actually invented there. The ambulance basket and hand cranked wheelchair defiantly left a lasting impact as how the time have changed over several years. 

I was very happy to see that the patients there were well taken care of and found it interesting how they lived as one separate community within a community. I liked the short movie of the man who explained how he would sneak out and go down the road for a few beers before the night check and he wouldn't get caught. Most importantly I was glad that even when the patients no longer had to be quarantined, the individuals were able to stay there as this was the only way of life them at they knew. That just proves even more that they were well cared for. 

I am glad to see that the resources have not gone to waste and the area is being used today for military and youth programs. It was a very educational and informative visit

Music

although I did not attend the music tour it the pharmacy museum due to "trench foot" causing blisters on my feet from wet shoes and socks the day before, I have been able to hear some music around the city.  On Frenchman street and at various parts around town I have been able to hear jazz being played. Jazz is important to New Orleans for several reasons. One reason is that it allows each person to speak how they feel freely in the music they play. In the 18th century,  New Orleans was dancing to VooDoo rhythms.New Orleans was the only place in the New World where slaves were allowed to own drums. VooDoo rituals were openly tolerated, and well attended by the rich as well as the poor, by blacks and whites, by the influential and the anonymous. Jazz made people feel free and alive. New Orleans music the. Is the same today. It is totally acceptable to dance in the streets day or night and and for everyone that hears it to want to partake in the music. This is how it makes me feel. And by the tapping of others feet and the clapping of their hands, I am able to safely assume that others share my feelings. I do not know of anyone who does not like to hear music. The feeling of being free and alive on top of that love for music makes it a feeling that is not able to be replicated anywhere else in the world. 


As for the pharmacy museum.. I will have to update my blog when I have attended the tour. In place of the tour I can explain ( or try to explain) about blisters and trench foot. I had never heard of trench foot until I told my father that I had blisters on my feet from being in wet shoes all day the day before and Shia response was "you have trench foot". He was able to accurately explain to me how the term came about from soldiers being in wet boots and socks for days and developing blisters from it. When I hung up the phone with him, I of course google searched it and found out he was right and it was a real thing. 

Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions. It is one of many immersion foot syndromes. The use of the word trench in the name of this condition is a reference to trench warfare, mainly associated with World War I which started in 1914. What Google failed to accurately report was the depth of pain this caused. Thankfully the end result has improved over time because during World War 1, the end result was necrosis and gangrene followed by amputation. With plenty of Advil, bed rest and soaking in Epsoms salt, I am able to feel my feet today and ambulated accordingly. The lesson learned: wear rain boots and always carry a change of dry socks.

History, Architecture, Religion, & Cuisine

What stories did the city tell you today?  
There were so many stories I would not even know where to begin. Some that stuck out were from the cemetery tour and how the families are buried in groups of 18-20 people. We saw the tombs of Marie Labeau and of Nicholas cage. It was neat to hear the stories that were involved and how Marie Labeau had 3 tombs. 

How did the city speak to you?  
The city spoke to me in numbers. The number of years that were in the cemetery and the ages of the tombs as well as the number of people in each vault. The number of ghosts and spirits in each building and the number of people affected by each each ghost. The number of fires speaks to me regarding the amount of property damage done and how the fires have affected the history of this city. 

Were you surprised by anything you learned?  
I was surprised to learn that the city is sinking. When we were walking down the street during our tour I was surprised to see a boat seem to fly above us because the city is below sea level. 



Did you learn anything about yourself?  
I learned that I do like more foods than I thought I did. I tried several different foods on our cuisine tour that I would have normally never have tried. I knew I liked shrimp but did not think I would like the rumalade sauce that was in it. I also tried the gumbo. It was so spicy to me,that it took my breath away,  but at the same time so tasty I could not stop eating it. 


If so what and how?
I know I love all seafood and now I will be able to try it in several different ways. 


  Were your  preconceptions of the city correct or not?  Explain.

I am happy that it is not what I expected. I expected it to be so busy with hustle and bustle that it would be easy for us to get lost in the chaos. Instead it was surprising to find a city so laid back and relaxed that it was welcoming. The ghost tour person last night states it best when she said that "New Orleans embraces each individual's corkyness". This is exactly how I can explain my new perception of New Orleans. 

Destination

We have finally arrived at our destination. Stepping off of the train was amazing. The weather was so much nicer than I had ever expected. We got off of the train and had to go inside the train station to get the luggage that was checked in. Everyone was so nice and the artwork inside the train station had a lot of untold stories that we will hopefully know more about by the time we leave here in one week. As a group, we decided it would be easier for us to walk from the train station to the hotel. Perhaps because none of us slept very well, the 8 blocks to the hotel seemed like 2 hours. A mental note was taken that we will be returning to the train station via cab instead of walking. Once at the hotel we were able to take a quick shower and change our clothes before heading out to dinner.

Dinner was amazing. The restaurant was great and almost everyone found something they really enjoyed  and liked for their meal.   Well, everyone except for one person. She ordered a burger well done and received one that was still very pink. The waitress was happy to take her burger  away and ordered another one. Unfortunately this took quite a while to remake. Everyone had been done  for a while before the redne burger came out again. I however ordered the grits with broiled shrimp. The sauce on the shrimp was a little too spicy for my liking, but it was good indeed. Dinner was an overall great experience disputed the very cramped seating arrangement at the Original Pierre Masperos. Defiantly a great choice.

After dinnner we went on a ghost tour. This was very interesting and entertaining. We learned a lot about the history of some haunted places in New Orleans. Our tour guide was great and the  stories this woman told with such enthusiasm was amazing. A lot of history was told with the ghost stories and it amazed me at how much history there really was with almost each building in the French quarter. Some of the things that we heard about, I made a note of so that I am able to google it and find out more about it.

After the ghost tour we stopped for Beniets and coffee or hot cocoa. This was a great ending to a great day. We returned to our hotel and we were clearly beat and exhausted. Even to the point that we were too tired to pull out the sleeper bed. We just crashed.

This was a great day.

Departure

Although I have been on a train before for a long distance trip, it is really hard to consider any trip normal and to prepare for what may lie ahead. Before we even left Peoria, our bus was delayed. This did not make the ourney ahead seem too promising. While we were waiting at the bus terminal, we were able to witness a "medical emergency" in which AMT was contacted and arrived to transport the patient. Once the bus did arrive, the bus driver seemed to be shocked at the fact that she actually had passengers (us) and despite having a very large bus, she was surprised that there were so many of us. Finally, we hit the road. The bus was freezing cold, but hey we were moving so who could really complain. At last we were off to New Orleans. Little did we know, the freezing cold bus trip had a slight delay in Bloomington, IL. The bus driver had some "business she needed to attend to" so we were able to wait for her on the freezing bus (we really didnt have a choice in the matter). I felt somewhat relieved when she came back for us, only to have the little amount of confidence that I did have in her removed due to her not knowing how to defrost the windows. Boy was this going to be a long ride. I was able to fall asleep dreaming of warmer weather ahead with bright sunshine. I was awaken to "wake up! We're here". Wow Louisiana already. Great. But, nope. We were in Champaign, and it's still freezing out and I cannot feel my nose or my toes. I was super happy to finally be able to get some food. Subway, here we come. Due to the necessary business we had in Bloomington, we arrived 15 minutes too late for Subway. Because this was not the instructor's first rodeo, she promptly saved the day with pizza. PS- thanks Colleen. So we munched on pizza while the Amtrak lady kept giving us evil glares while repeating the same message to clean up our mess and how to check our luggage. The train finally arrived for us. We were able to escape the evil glares. By this time it was late and time for bed, or so I thought. I am a 3rd shift employee and even I am able to recognize what it means to be quiet and go to bed means, but not everyone appears to have been blessed with that common sense. Chattering and food packaging being crumpled lead me to Pandora with the ear buds in. Sleep at last.
Waking up this morning on the train, I was happy to learn we were almost in Mississippi. We have progress. After a quick trip to the lavatory, we were free to explore the train to seek out breakfast. I feel it is super necessary at this time to point out just how people watching never gets old. From the vibrant hair colors and totally inappropriate clothing choices, I cannot help but wonder if people own mirrors. Knowing I myself dressed to be traveling for 2 days, I was able to assume this is what others were thinking also.
While we continued to travel south, we were able to capture the scenery out of the window.
Breakfast was quick and satisfying. A quick class meeting took us to the observation car. It was kind of sad to see how very run down the homes were along the tracks. For as long as the eye could see, there was mud, water, and few inhabitable residents. I had a better sense of the situation when the instructor pointed out that the closer one lives to the train tracks, the cheaper it costs. It was hard to imagine that there was life beyond the fields and trees and that anyone actually lived in Mississippi. This is where the rural part of living comes from. I can now understand why some people are not able to get the transportation they need to seek the care they require.
Although the area that I live in is still considered to be very rural, it defiantly looked urban compared to the fields full of water that we saw today.

We did arrive in New Orleans and it was a wonderful surprise to find the weather to be GREAT. I am excited to tell you about how the first day went tomorrow, and because I am totally exhausted and worn out, I will catch everyone up on the Destination tomorrow.
Good Night. 

Preparation

While I am super excited about this trip to New Orleans, I am also super nervous (almost to the point of being anxious). This is all due to the fact that I am not quite sure what to expect. I have been on a long distance train trip before (to Oregon with my grandmother) and loved the trip and spending time in the observation car seeing all of the scenery. I have a bittersweet memory of this trip because my grandma got ill during this trip and passed away 2 weeks from the day we returned.   My hesitation to be fully excited is that I am not on a vacation and there is actually structure to this trip.

Because I am a full time student and work full time, I am not able to take vacations. When I did, they were done on my time and my schedule. My normal week consists of going to school every day and working 3 or 4 nights (6p-6:30a). This will be just like a typical week for me (work and school), except for the going to work part.

I had to begin preparing for this trip about 2 months ago to get my work schedule covered by others. I am very fortunate that this was able to work out. I normally work every other weekend and this trip falls on my weekend to work. I was fortunate enough to get someone to cover my weekend for me, but now have to work the weekend before we leave and the weekend we return. I also plan on getting my co-worker a souvenir from our trip to thank her for her flexibility.

At home, when I do sleep, I share my house and my bed with my 2 cats. They are like my little children. If I am lucky, they will share the bed with me. I have had to make plans to have someone visit my house daily to feed and water my cats. They are not sociable with others so I do not worry about having to have anyone spend time with them. The only thing I am concerned about is that if their food bowls get down to the ½ way full mark, they think they are going to starve and will purge- leading to a big mess. My father and my niece will both take turns stopping by to make sure they are taken care of. I am more concerned about how I will be able to sleep without them. They almost make me feel more relaxed when they are lying next to me; in fact Wrigley has to be physically touching me when she is sleeping. I know that they are both very busy during the days and nights when I am not home- protecting the house, scaring off intruders and constantly are on the prowl securing the premises. I hope they are able to relax and get some sleep while I am away. LOL!!!!

Because I have never been to New Orleans, I had never heard of the places on the itinerary. I looked through the itinerary at the places listed that we are going to visit and looked each one of them up on the internet to find their location. I then looked up where each place was on a map to see where in the city we were going to travel to. This has defiantly helped with my excitement for the trip.

To prepare for the trip, I have been checking the Weather Channel app on my phone for the past 2 weeks to see what the weather will be. Because I am always cold, I will plan on wearing a t-shirt under a sweatshirt. That way if I am warm, I will be able to take the sweatshirt off and be comfortable. I am not one to wear pj’s out of the house, but I am still debating on wearing pj’s or sweat pants on the train. I remember being very cold on the train for my last trip. I will defiantly be wearing a jacket also on the train with my blanket I will be taking. I also bought a travel pillow at Wal-Mart for the train. (I am super excited about that too because it was a special for the holidays and has a massager built in).  

I made a list of all things to take, necessities such as cotton swabs, extra shampoo and conditioner, lotion, make up remover wipes, contact solution and other personal items. I have been updating the list and double checking it for the past week now. While I am sure I will forget something, I am glad there is generally a Walgreens on every corner. Also because I have a caffeine addiction, I will be packing and keeping extra Diet Pepsi to have on hand at all times.

I will be taking my laptop, head phones and a deck of cards to keep me busy on the train also. I plan on being very busy for this trip and have already done a lot of pre-research for this class while doing the religion and culture assignments.  I have learned a lot already and am looking forward to learning a whole lot more.

What I think our trip will be like.

I think that our trip to New Orleans will be very educational and fun. I am looking forward to visiting the museums and group projects. I have never been to New Orleans or taken a travel course, so I am looking forward to structured learning objectives. I feel that if I were to have planned a trip to New Orleans on my own as a vacation, I would not have decided to visit some of the places that we are planning to visit, and I am looking forward to learning about the history and environment. I am most looking forward to the culture and seeing how everyday lives interact with the constant flow of tourists, the food, and the New Orleans way of life, including their southern accent. I am especially excited to visit the museums and the historical sites. I hope to enjoy this travel course enough to want to visit New Orleans again and be able to take a personal vacation to learn and experience more of it.