Today was an amazing day for travel. We had a day, jam packed with tours and adventures, so it is difficult to write about it all. Our first stop was the St. Louis Cathedral. This is a beautiful catholic church, and though I am not catholic, it was great to go inside and learn about the history. The church was set up very specifically, with memorabilia from the past, present, and future. Our tour guide was very informative, and had a lot of information about the church. After this, we went and toured the convent, which was beautiful. The inside was gorgeous, but what was the most enamoring was the outside garden area. We were able to tour the garden area on our own, but they were setting up for a wedding. After this, we went to the French Market. This was my favorite part of the day. We were able to walk around on our own, seeing various types of people, including tourists. I shopped, purchased a few things including some art, earrings, and shirts.
Everyone had their products set up for display, so it was very interesting to be able to view everyone's works and speak with the different vendors. They all had a story, and many of them were eager to share it. After the French Market, we went on the food tour. This tour took us all around the city of New Orleans and enabled us to get a flavor of the various cultures. We tried NOLA native cuisine, cajun, and creole cuisine. Our tour guide Naff was awesome, and had so many stories to share about the food and where it came from. He went above and beyond when sharing his stories, and told us a lot of historical facts as well that did not relate to the cuisine we were trying. We tried turtle soup, alligator soup, gumbo, red beans and rice, as well as my favorite, gelato. After the food tour, we all had free time until we met up at the art gallery in the evening. I was so stuffed from the food tour that Kristen and I went back to the hotel room to rest up a bit for the evening. Afterwards, we all went together down Decatur street to listen to music as we traveled to the art gallery. Vendors were set up with their art work which included jewelry, paintings, and pictures. We stayed and looked at the various art, and then were released to explore on our own. Kristen and I knew before we even got to NOLA that we wanted tattoos from a NOLA native as a reminder of our trip. So we found the shop we wanted, and each went in and got tattoos. 
They turned out perfectly and will be a permanent reminder of our experiences here. After our tattoos, we met up with some other students and went to Bamboozled, a club that was playing jazz music. People were dancing, singing, and having a great time. This club reminded me of the roaring 20's, and I just felt in my element. I am an old soul, stuck in the 21st century, so it was an amazing experience. 
One of my favorite parts of this entire trip is being given the opportunity to people watch, and learn about the different cultures and people. The people here are so great, not like the people I've experience back home. I've been to several big cities before: Chicago, D.C, etc, and yet the street people are always rude, pushy, and unnerving. Here in NOLA, the people are so friendly, yet give you your space. There are street performers everywhere, artists and musicians looking for a buck. However, they dont bother you. You show them attention, then they begin to speak to you. One performer stopped me on the streets just to tell me I was beautiful, and then walked away. Didn't ask for money, didn't harass me to buy their product, but simply wanted to pass along some kind words. This is how the city speaks. The atmosphere is always so bubbly and friendly, which is what I love most. Patrons of this city are so willing to sit and talk with you, and seem to love doing it. I bought a painting in Jackson Square, and even though it was very busy and the artist could have been gallivanting around in order to sell more art, he took the time to have a long conversation with me. I knew I wanted to art when I walked up, and told him this. He did not have to convince me to buy his work, yet stood there and talked to me about it. He told me stories of his work, his life, and wanted to know about mine. Why can't people be like this back in IL? I keep comparing NOLA to Chicago, where homeless people harass you for money, and may even come after you if you don't pay them attention. You can't go out after dark, even on the busiest lit streets in fear that you will be mugged, or worse. Here in NOLA however, I felt safe. I did not fear for my life or body as I walked the streets late at night. Yes, there are general rules to follow anywhere you go, but even back home in Peoria I still do not feel safe walking to my apartment alone at night. My feelings of the people in my home town affect how I feel whenever I am outside or alone, and I simply wish I felt as safe and comfortable at home, as I do in NOLA. Naturally, I am a friendly person, a social butterfly if you will. I want to talk to anyone and everyone, and have been this way since I was a kid. I would walk up to strangers just to talk, so I can see why my mother is constantly worried. (Hey mom, don't worry. Im still talking to strangers, but safely). Back home, I barely feel safe talking to a stranger in a local store, let alone on the streets. We do not have bustling streets full of business and excitement. We have a downtown that smells like drugs, booze, and must. There is no where to go to socialize and feel safe, however we make due with what we have. Everyday has enabled me to socialize even more, so it is hard to pinpoint my favorite experiences.
