Travel terrifies me. Being away from home is unnerving, leaving my home, material items, my animals, and everything that is familiar around me. Before I even began packing, I made a list that was checked at least 25 times. What do I absolutely need? What do I want to bring? What will be detrimental if I forget it? I keep questioning myself, reviewing the list that I will use the day of to ensure I have all of my things. Prior to this trip, I did not even have luggage, so this was the first step. I went out and purchased the most obnoxious looking luggage I could find, so that it would be easily identifiable. Once I got it home, I brought it into my room and began packing, almost a week early. There are vital items I cannot pack until the day of such as toiletries and medications, so these items remain on the list of things that I have yet to pack. Anything and everything that can be packed at this time, is packed. I purchased 4 bags, considering we can have 4 bags, which I intend to take advantage of. All of my clothing is packed, with an ample amount of outfits for any occasion that may arise. I packed double the amount of clothing I would need, but as a person that likes to express herself through style and appearance, I will not know what fits in until I arrive in New Orleans.
Aside from my clothing, I have packed all of my school materials including my laptop, writing utensils, notebooks, and various other small items. I have everything I will need to take notes, continue enhancing my blog, and be successful for this trip. Regarding personal items, I have not packed anything such as books, movies, or items to use on the train. As someone with motion sickness, I cannot distract myself by looking down at a book or watching a movie, therefore I have not packed these items because it would lead to temptation on the train. As the old lady that I am however, I have packed my crocheting materials, considering I do not need to look down to crochet. The entire train ride will be spent sleeping or crocheting, so I do not need much more in my carry on bags.
I am a planner, a type A personality. I want to know every detail of every aspect of everything. It is draining, yet this trip is no exception. However, I have decided to keep my research to a minimum and enjoy the trip, with its surprises along the way. The only thing I researched to prepare my packing was weather, to which I was surprised by how nice the weather is suppose to be. I have been preparing my blog, continuing to work on my E-Travel guide, as well as review my packing list consistently, but I have also had to make arrangements for my home. I live alone and have two cats that need to be taken care of while I am gone. My closest family members live an hour away, so it was difficult to find someone I trust, that would be willing to stay at my apartment and care for my animals. Luckily I live close to my job and was able to find someone I trust to look over my home and kitties while I am away.
Overall, I am very well prepared for the class. I continue to research my topic for the E-Travel guide, given that I am very interested in the topic. My partner and I have worked together to find enough research to provide to the class, but also plan to expand while we are in New Orleans. Much of our preparation has been spent together, including preparation for the train. We made lists with each other, check it twice, and bought items together that we both can use such as books, school materials, drinks, snacks, and travel items.
What are your expectations for the trip and the course?
As I previously stated before, I am not very comfortable traveling. I do not like leaving home, where I have everything I need and am close to the people I love. However, this trip is an amazing opportunity to explore parts of the world I may never get to see again. My family is very important to me, and they know how I am with traveling, which is why they encouraged me to go and enjoy New Orleans. I can honestly say I am looking forward to this trip, with no anxiety or nervousness about leaving. I am well prepared and have done my research.
I am a very expressive, extroverted person. I stand out in the crowd given my tattoos, bold clothing, and bold personality. This is one of the reasons I am excited to go on this trip. New Orleans has always been displayed as bright, vibrant, a city full of life and diversity, so I hope that I will finally feel that I fit in, by standing out. I feel that this will be a personal journey, teaching me not only a lot about the city, its culture, and its practices, but a lot about myself. I love going to new places, learning their culture, and experiencing what it has to offer. Traveling teachings me a lot about myself, showing me new things I love or dislike. Growing up in a small town, I was not exposed to much other than corn and cattle. Therefore, traveling gives me the opportunity to explore the world little by little, finding new enjoyment in the diversity others have to offer. I look forward to blogging everyday, because I always complain that I never took enough pictures or did not keep track of what I did for the next time I go back to a city. Travel blogging will allow me to keep a detailed description of my endeavors, including what I liked, disliked, as well as what I learned from the experience.
Why did I take this course if I am uncomfortable traveling away from home alone? I ask myself the same question, but how will you get anywhere in life if you remain stagnant and do not break out of your comfort zone. I decided to take this course to explore, and learn about a city that has always interested me. I have family in New Orleans and never understood why they would remain in a city that consistently has devastation. I hope this course will teach me what New Orleans has to offer, and give me an insight on its culture, religion, music, architecture, and much more. I look forward to the cultural aspect most. I have always been fascinated with religion and other cultures, which is why I chose the topic of religion for my travel guide. I grew up in a Christian household, which was very structured. I somehow developed an interested in investigating other religions and practices, and have always been fascinated with the practice of Voodoo. To this day, I am not certain if I believe its effectiveness or practice, but I am still very intrigued and cannot wait to learn more. The ghost tour is honestly what I am looking forward to most, because I feel that it fits into my travel guide interests. The unknown scares me, yet I am enamored by it as well. Can we believe what we cannot see? Can we truly understand what is unknown? This is why I am so fascinated with ancient practices such as voodoo, ghosts, as well as various other religions. Some things we may never have answers to, but I hope this trip will allow me to explore my interests and continue learning more about myself along the way.
