"I'm in Cog-Negro." - Milton: January 8th

Today was by far my favorite day in New Orleans, not to say that I have had a bad day here at all. It was “freezing” according to NOLA natives, bundled up in their thick coats, wool socks, hats, mittens, and snow boots, whereas us students are barely walking around in a hoodie. It was in the 30s, which to them was freezing, but that was nothing compared to Illinois weather. We started our morning off with the history and cemetery tour with Milton. Not only was the tour amazing, but Milton was my favorite person that I have met on this entire trip. He was so humbling and ridiculously smart. He provided us with so much extra information on various aspects of the tour. He took us around New Orleans and educated us on when and how the city was established. We had gathered a lot of this information prior to the tour, but he went into so much depth and made it enjoyable with his jokes and humor. He then educated us on women’s rights in NOLA, which we had not had much education on yet, so I found this interesting. He elaborated on Code Noir, which regarded various rules for African Americans that we actually mentioned in our E-Travel Guide. He elaborated and provided more information that we will be able to use in our travel guide.

Aside from this, he also provided us information on the various types of architecture and went into great detail on the fire prevention measure created in order to protect the city, given the 2 large fires that occurred. I could tell he was a huge music buff, because he went into great detail on jazz music and the various artists that rooted from New Orleans. He took us to various music buildings and told many stories of how jazz music came to New Orleans, was taken away, and returned. Then began what I thought would be my favorite part, the cemetery tour. Milton took us to St. Louis Cemetery One, which was another part of m E-Travel Guide. He took us to various tombs and educated us on the history of the tombs, how they were constructed, why they were above ground, as well as how families were buried together. He then took us to Marie Laveua’s tomb. This was also very education for my travel guide. Following the cemetery tour, we had some free time, that of course was spent eating gelato. After this, we went to the Presbytere, which I honestly had no interest in. I thought it was just a museum on Mardi Gras, but I was quickly mistaken. This museum was very educational regarding Katrina and the damage it did. There was real footage and debris from the hurricane, as well as various other stories and artifacts. After this museum, we were on our own. We all went back to the hotel to relax, pack, and spend our last full night together in NOLA. 

Prior to visiting New Orleans, I was very ignorant to the evolution of African American’s in today’s society. I try to shelter myself from negativity, and this results in ignoring the racism and sexism in today’s society. I do not watch the news, or pay attention to politics, simply because it is upsetting and only adds to my anxiety. Being in New Orleans was so humbling, because I was able to learn so much about African American culture and what they have been through, yet I was also able to hear about it first hand from many people. Milton, our tour guide was very humbling. He was so kind, and had such a fun spirit, even though he was telling us stories of how he was segregated in his youth, and excluded given his color. It wasn’t just a story at this point, but it felt real. He wasn’t telling the story in sadness, but simply with experience, and that was the humbling aspect of it. He went through so much struggle, yet is a successful, incredibly intelligent man, still living in the 9^th ward of New Orleans. Not only did he go through the pain and struggle of segregation in the 50s and 60s, but he went through Hurricane Katrina, in the area that was the most damaged. Almost the entire 9^th ward was wiped out, which is where Milton lived, and currently lives. I was 10 when hurricane Katrina happened. I knew something sad and devastating happened, but I had no idea until now how severe it really was. History was never my subject in school, so I will be the first to tell you how ignorant I am when it comes to historical events. However, this trip taught me so much, that I actually enjoyed learning about. I had no idea that 80% of New Orleans was under water. Going through the Presbytere and seeing actual footage of the hurricane, as well as seeing parts of homes, buildings, and items from homes was devastating. It really brought to light the severity of Katrina. I had enjoyed my entire trip in New Orleans given the positivity and atmosphere. Everyone on the streets is so kind, happy, and bright. The atmosphere is a positive one, something I do not commonly feel back in Illinois. It makes me ponder how? How can a city be so positive when 80% of their city was underwater and destroyed from a level 7 hurricane? This entire trip was humbling, not just the people, but the city itself. The whole point of this trip was learning “how the city speaks.” Not only did I learn how the city speaks through music and art, but I also learned how the city stayed together, regardless of the devastation that occurred. I always wondered why people stayed in New Orleans, knowing that there was always the potential of another hurricane. Now I understand. This city is so beautiful, full of history and life that I wouldn’t want to leave either.

"There's a potato in my beer." January 7th

FINALLY, Our day of freedom; the day we are allowed to roam New Orleans by ourselves, using our acquired traveling and haggling skills. It's sad, but as a college student, the most exciting part of the day was sleeping in past 8 am. This is a rarity, so it was a nice treat. After we all slept in, we all got up slowly, took our time getting ready, and gathered around noon for lunch at the Gumbo Pot. Though some of the group was not thrilled about cajun and creole cuisine, we tried out a new place. It was quite delicious and full of flavor. After lunch, we went into the small mall and traveled the shops. Each of us bought a few things, including myself. I bought a few shot glasses and sugar skulls for my collection, along with a couple of t-shirts. Treat yourself, right? After the mall, we traveled around the French Quarter to do some more shopping, mostly window shopping. We encountered an interesting man on the streets, who was part of the Meals on Wheels program, selling hats to raise money for the program. He was absolutely hilarious, so we visited with him for a solid ten minutes. We ended up buying the matching hats, and went on with our shopping. As we were walking around the French Quarter, we saw that a dance group was setting up for a performance. They weren't dancing yet, but were telling jokes and trying to draw people into the show, so we took a seat to see what it was all about. Best decision I have made on this trip so far. The show was full of laughs, amazing dance moves, and hilarious crowd members. It was almost as if the dancers were heckling people walking the streets, and it was perfect. We had intended to go travel to listen to street music, but encountered this dance group, The Dragon Master Showcase instead, and we were quite glad we did. After the show, we all traveled back to the hotel to relax for a while, before our fancy dinner.... that we didn't know was so fancy (THANKS STEVE). We were all dressed quite casually as we walked into world renowned chef Emeril's restaurant. Though we all felt under dressed, we were still excited for the experience. We enjoyed an amazing dinner with friends, an experience that none of us have ever had before. This was my first time in a 5 star dining establishment, and it was very elaborate. The food was delicious and the service was wonderful, so I am glad we went. You could tell we definitely didn't fit in, especially Steven and Andrew who some how managed to land a potato in Andrew's beer. Rather than fish it out, they pretended nothing happened as Andrew drank the potato beer. We decided after dinner to come enjoy a nice dip in the hot tub, however to our dismay it was broken. Therefore, we produced the hillbilly idea to turn our bath tub into a hot tub. Talk about classy, 5 star people. So we proceeded to take a nice dip in the "hot tub."

 

Coming to the city of New Orleans, I had many preconceived ideas regarding various cultures and groups of people. It's difficult to not have these ideas, when we live in a society such as we currently do. Racism is alive. Prejudice is alive. In my opinion, we are born into a world that teaches hate. My parents taught love and respect, but the world around them teaches hate. It has been so refreshing to experience the different walks of life, and squash these preconceived notions. I think the reason I enjoyed The Dragon Master Showcase so much was that they used clean humor, that not only poked fun at themselves, but squashed many beliefs and jokes regarding the African American race. Like one of the videos below, they were joking with children referring to themselves as the "Black Ninja Turtles" which had the entire audience almost in tears. They would crack jokes at members of the audience, but never attacking their race, gender, or sexuality. It was so funny to see them interact with the audience, as well as the patrons walking the streets. As if their talent wasn't enough, they spoke about their true passion for dance and music. They stated that this is a way that they can bring people of all nations together, in a peaceful manner. Their work is an art, and they believed that music and art bring us together. It was also refreshing to see that they wanted to have children involved, white, black, asian; it didn't matter. They had clean humor so that children could come enjoy their show, and wanted to be a positive influence for the children. I come from a biracial family, with many children. I want to protect their innocence as long as possible, and this was a show that I would love to bring them too. Not only did their sheer talent attract the audience, but their clean humor and positive affects also played a part.

 


Completely shifting gears, we went to a five star restaurant for dinner. Now I know what Steve Perry was talking about, just being a small town girl. Illinois is so simple to me, where you work to provide for yourself, and appreciate the little things. I am not exposed to such fancy establishments or experiences, similar to what I have encountered on this trip. Boy, was I out of my element at Emerils. There were 3 servers to the 6 of us at the table. As a server, I often handle 6 tables, which can equal up to 40 + guests at a time, yet here they had 1 server per 2 guests. I never waited for a thing. My napkin was placed on my lap for me, my chair was pulled out for me, and my jacket was taken for me. I enjoyed the experience and it was absolutely delicious, but I was out of my element. Even though it was expensive and a real treat, I do not think I would be any more in my element if I did have that kind of money. I was raised in a household where money didn't buy happiness, and the money that you did have was earned through hard work. I could never see myself being waited on hand and foot like that constantly, considering my roots. Regardless, it was a great experience.

It's a bird? It's a plane? NO. It's a beignet. - January 6th

For a nerd like me, today was an exciting day. We explored various museums and took a look back into the history of NOLA. First, we ran to the Cabildo in the pouring rain. I did not have high hopes for this museum when I walked in, but as I began to explore I was fascinated. This museum elaborated on slavery, segregation, the emancipation, as well as how freed slaves functioned in society. We stayed here for about an hour, exploring the various artifacts and collecting information for our E-Travel Guide, then moved on to the next museum at the Pharmacy Museum.

The Pharmacy museum was by far my favorite museum we attended. Considering I want to be a CRNA, I have a large interest in medication and the history of medication. This museum delved into the evolution of pharmaceutical practices, including the evolution of syringes, and the various materials that practitioners used in their needles and medication including lead, arsenic, and heroin. Our tour guide was wonderful, and very insightful. He had a great sense of humor and was very informative. After the 30 minute tour, we were able to explore the museum more. There was a large section on voodoo medicine and poison, which was great to collect information on for my travel guide. My partners and I explored this section, and then discovered a very interesting artifact. In the upstairs portion of the museum, there was an old postmortem dissection kit. It included various viles, devices, and medications used for embalming and autopsies. It was so old fashioned looking, almost barbaric. Seeing the evolution of these various pieces of equipment is fascinating, and in my opinion the museum was very well put together.

After the museums, it was on. The moment we have all been waiting for, the one thing that everyone tells you you cant leave NOLA without experiencing. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO. It's a beignet. Autumn, Steven, Kristen, Katie and I traveled in the freezing cold rain to Cafe Du Monde. There was not an open table in site, so we had to wait for a little while to take a seat. When we finally were seating, we all ordered various coffees and beignets. As the lushes we are, none of us share. We all ordered and ate our own. Bucket list item, checked off. Cafe Au Laits and beignets at New Orleans own Cafe Du Monde.

After our food coma subsided, we traveled back to our hotel after a little bit of shopping in the French Quarter. We went to some cute clothing boutiques that were way out of our budget, considering we are broke college students. Even the sales rack was $50.00 and up. However, Kristen, Katie, and I splurged and each treated ourselves to a cute item. We had the rest of the day free, so Kristen and I decided to rest up before our big night on the town. That's right, it's time for the famous walk down Bourbon St. Of all the places to explore, us corn fed folks ended up in a country establishment, riding a mechanical bull. There's no place like home.

Other than the pharmacy museum, which I will elaborate more on shortly, the best part of my day was the Uber driver that took us to Bourbon St. His name was Major, and come to find out he had been a Master SGT in the Marine Corps for 29 years. He currently drives Uber for fun, because he enjoys meeting new people. For some reason, it felt so humbling to be in his presence. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met, encouraging us students to continue on in our career. He was very genuine, and wanted to converse with us, knowing what we were doing here and in our education. His sweet demenour was very refreshing, and he had an abundance of advice for us as we traveled down to Bourbon St. As I have said before, the people in NOLA amaze me. It will never get old meeting new people here. It's teaching me how to be a better, nicer, more well rounded person.

My favorite part of the day was the pharmacy museum, because I am a pathopharm nerd. Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to know how to do things, but also why I was doing them. Pharmacology allows me to explore my interests in medication, relating it all to the human body. It gives me an outlet to learn how things work, and why certain medications react how they do. I wish I could understand where this interest came from, but for as long as I can remember, I have been this way. The pharmacy museum has so much information on the old practices of doctors and pharmacists, many of which were very ignorant such as using lead needles that were used for multiple patients or using arsenic in medications. I was intrigued by the evolution of our medical field, mostly with pharmacy. We have evolved immensely, from thick lead reusable needles to small 22g disposable and safe needles. As previously stated, I want to be a CRNA. My love for medication, chemistry, and its interactions with the human body have led me down this path. Therefore, I was very attentive in this museum. I am always eager to learn new things, but mostly I enjoy learning how to heal ailments homopathically. Complementary alternative methods are a favorite of mine, including guided imagery and essential oils. Even with all of the modern day medicine, I still choose to treat many ailments with essential oils. Therefore, it was very interesting to see the various CAMS that were used back in the 1800s. They used various herbs and natural products to make their medication, so its refreshing to see some similar practices still in use.

Medicine has evolved so incredibly. In the 1800s, they were so ignorant to diseases and unhealthy practices, so this museum was great at exploring the evolution of different medications or products. One practice called blood letting, was common when someone was very sick. They would make incisions and drain the patient's blood, hoping to rid them of disease. Did they have NO idea that this would kill a patient, and the dangers of blood loss? It makes me wonder what research they completed prior to utilizing these practices. Back then, Heroin was also used as a drug, encouraged to be taken daily, whereas today it is a Schedule I drug, that is illegal and highly addictive. This makes me wonder, do these drugs (if manufactured properly in a medical setting) have healing properties that would be useful in today's society? With all of the research going on regarding medical marijuana and its healing properties, it makes me ponder the idea of other Schedule I and II drugs having medical benefits.

I have an obsession with people watching. - January 5th

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.

Arrival

We've made it. We finally arrived in New Orleans at the train station. At this point, we lugged out bags away from the train, and began to arrange transportation to our hotel. Kristen and I decided to take an Uber and were given a nice driver named Sam. Since I personally have experience with people of Haitian decent, I could tell he was more than likely Haitian. He spoke with a creole accent, and was very kind. In the car, we talked with him, discussing the city, local attractions, and where we were from. He told us that he had barely left the city, never been over the bridge, and never been on a train. Once we arrived to our hotel, even though he went down a wrong way and almost killed us on the way, we were able to relax a little more. Sam was very friendly, and helped us unload our bags, even though he did not need to. We had little, to no time to get ready, so Kristen and I slapped on some makeup and semi-cute outfits. After this, we all walked towards the French Quarter and were acclimated to the area. We saw St. Louis Cathedral, the various architectural differences, as well as took the street car system. 

After this, we all went to dinner as a group. Kristen, Andrew, and I went in and decided to have a drink with our dinner. The bartender was so friendly, and given that I am also a bartender, it was interesting to talk with him. I asked him what drinks NOLA was famous for, and educated him on the different drinks I make all the time in Illinois. While some were similar, he said they were known for their hurricanes, which I never make back home. I told him that we were known for our mules and vegas bombs. He said he had heard of them but would have no idea how to make one. So I sat there and coached him through it. It was a nice learning experience for the both of us. After this, we all sat down as a group to dinner. My table, all friends, decided to try a bunch of different NOLA cuisine to get a better experience. We tried fried alligator, crab cakes, jambalaya, and craw fish, all things I have never tried before. Kristen, Steven, and I finished our dinner early, so we decided to go for a walk in Jackson Square and look for a psychic. It was something we all wanted to do so we found one that we all agreed on. We sat down, each for about 15 minutes and had a reading performed. Kristen and I had palm readings done, while Steven did a tarot card reading. After this, we went back to the space where we would meet as a group for our ghost tour. We were early, so we decided to go into the bar in Pirate Alley, where we were able to see the process of brewing absinthe. Though I had no desire to taste it, I took a sip and watched as she brewed the drink. We all just tried it, and went on to our ghost tour. For the ghost tour, our tour guide Brittany walked us all around NOLA and shared different stories about people, the culture, and the buildings. We had a great time with this, but were ready to get home after a long, exhausting day. A few of us stayed up late to blog, and visited about our experiences.

In all honesty, I could go on and on about my experiences today. I am still mind boggled by the experience Steve, Kristen, and I had with the palm reader. A little background, I am a born again Christian, therefore I believe in God, as well as ghosts and spirits. I do not take the other dimension lightly, which is why I find it so fascinating. After dinner, the three of us walked down to Jackson Square in the dark. It was somewhat creeping, but alluring in a way. The streets were barely lit, but you could see candles at all these various tables in the distance. We walked around for a bit, just waiting to all have a feeling that we found the right palm reader/psychic. After a little while, we encountered this woman, who was very sweet but seemed like an ideal medium. She was closed off, made little eye contact, but in the same sense was friendly. A sat down and told her I wanted a palm reader, nothing more. She did not know my name, know that I was here on a trip, or anything about me. She began by just holding my dominant hand for a moment, looking at the lines upon the surface. After this, she began to spew information that had me so shocked, that I continued to look back at Kristen and Steve, viewing their expression. They knew a lot of the information she was saying was correct about me, so they couldn't hold back their shocked expression either. I tried to hold back my expressions however, given that I wanted this to be as authentic as possible. I didn't want the medium to have any source of knowledge coming from my expression, simply my palm.

She began by describing my personality to a t. This I was skeptical about, until she was getting very personal. She described me as stubborn, detail oriented, and the leader of the pack, to which Steve obnoxiously chimed in that she couldn't be more accurate. She chuckled and warned him that it would only get worse as I got older. She discussed my career, stating that she can tell I work an active career helping others, and though this is not my permanent career, I will work in a very intellectually challenging field where decision making is a must. I am currently a personal trainer at a gym, going to school to become a nurse. As if I couldn't have been more shocked, she began discussing my relationships. She said though I have no children now (I did not tell her this) that I have the potential to have three. Asking if this number has significance in my life, I told her that it was my lucky number and always had been. She then told me that it made sense. She also stated that my relationships would come in threes. I would have three serious relationships in my lifetime, the first being a long term relationship that teaches me a lot of lessons about myself. My first fiance and I were together almost 4 years. This was the first time I had lived alone, began nursing school, and found a full time job. I learned a lot from this relationship about myself as well as my goals in life. She said that the second would be shorter, yet more emotionally involved. I would love and be hurt. My second fiance and I were together only for 1.5 years, but we fell in love quickly. We didnt last, given his infidelity, so she completely hit the nail on the head. She said that my third relationship was going to be very long term, and would be the one I needed to devout my time and heart to. Though I am still young, she said I have an immense capability to love, as she can see by my soul. She said various other things, but I was still in shock. Finally Steven and Kristen went. Everything she said about them was completely different than my reading, which is was ruined my skepticism. Kristen was in tears, as she described her life and where she would be. It was so accurate, that my shock continued. She described things about Steve, including health issues and his love life, that only I thought I knew. Throughout this entire process, we had no idea what we were experience. We entered this, with the mere belief that is was fake, a way to make money. However, this kind woman only accepted donations, and would only accept up to a certain amount. We left in shock, and silence for what seemed to be hours. This was an experience of a lifetime.

Departure

The Departure

As I prepare to leave Peoria for the departure from Champaign, I am rechecking my list. I packed my bags after class and prepared to head towards Eureka, where Kristen, Steve, and I carpooled to Champaign. As I got into my car, I had an epiphany regarding several things I forgot. Therefore, I ran back inside, grabbed the remainder of my things and hurried out the door. Once I got to Eureka, Kristen and I ran to the store, grabbed a few items we needed for the train, and went back to her place to meet with Steve. At this point, we began our hour and a half journey to Champaign. In the car, we sang the entire way, and talked about our upcoming semester. The ride went by very quickly, and when we arrived to the train station, we had trouble finding the parking lot. We circled around for what seemed like twenty minutes looking for the right parking spot. When we finally found it, we walked with our abundance of bags in the freezing cold, inside the train station. Once we were in the train station, we waited, and waited. We blogged a little, took photos, and just talked about the 17 hour train ride that awaited us. At one point, we were so bored, Andrew left to go find cards. We were lucky that the train was late, because we weren't sure if he would make it back on time. As we were getting ready to leave, Andrew could not find his wallet anywhere. We looked everywhere, and even retraced his steps. After about five minutes, he realized it was in his pocket, which was a sign of relief. Given that I was nervous about the train ride, I continued to try to distract myself, watching the sights and sounds around me. In the corner, there was an Amish couple reading their bibles, keeping to themselves. There were also a group of African American females in the other corner. Everyone was seemingly segregated, prior to getting on the train.

Finally, our train arrived and we were able to board. There was some complications with the seating arrangements and everyone being able to sit together, but we finally got settled. I packed all of my carry ons away, and get comfortable in my chair. I can sleep, anywhere, anytime, regardless of the situation. Therefore I went right to sleep on the train. The day was exhausting, so I slept the majority of the night. When I woke up early in the morning, I realized that I was the only one awake so I laid back down and eventually fell back asleep, listening to music. This was my first time on a train, so I continued to watch my surroundings. When it came time to eat, Steve and I went to the food cart, which honestly was not that great. It was overpriced and did not taste great. I wasn't expecting much, so it's not like I was let down. The ride went by seemingly fast, considering I slept the majority of the ride. We finally arrived to New Orleans, and made our way to our hotels.

"This sounds like a bad time to cut an avocado."

Let's be real. At this time, I was freaking out. I actually began to cry as I left my apartment, only because I was sad about leaving my cats behind. This is why I could never be a parent. I left four hours early, just because I was so anxious and needed to get out of the house. I went to Kristen's house early, and we went to go pick up few things up that we needed for the train ride. I was grateful that we were able to sing, chat, and have a good time on the way up because this enabled me to relax a little bit, easing my anxiety for the train ride to come. Once we arrived at the train station, all I could think about was getting onto the train and getting settled, but it seemed that ten thousand things got in the way. First, we couldn't find the proper parking lot. Then we found out our train was slightly delayed. Then Andrew lost his wallet, which just stressed me out even though it wasn't my problem. I was high strung from the beginning and just wanted to curl up and fall asleep. To distract myself, I started people watching at the train station. I noticed the Amish couple in the corner, reading their bibles. This calmed me a little bit, given that I related with them. I also had my bible in my bag, and this brought me comfort. At one point, I look over and see Andrew attempting to slice an avocado with a plastic knife, which was quite entertaining. I was looking for anything to distract myself. Finally, our train arrived and I was able to get on and get settled. At this moment, I was relaxed and fell asleep quickly. I did not stay up to socialize with the others, I passed out within an hour of getting on the train.

The next day, I woke up to everyone walking around the train, going to get breakfast, and socializing. Given that I have severe motion sickness, I remained in my seat for almost the entire trip. I tried to make the most of it, and surprisingly it wasn't that bad of a ride. Driving through Mississippi and Louisiana was quite eye opening. I looked out the train window and see so much poverty and destruction. Maybe it was the area that we were in, but it appeared that everything was very beaten down. This is surprisingly what I expected it to look like, given the medias representation of the South. We saw people sleeping under bridges, covered with nothing but trash bags. There was trash and broken down houses, boarded up all over. Other than some birds, I saw no signs of life. This wasn't surprising, but it seemed as if this area was uninhabitable. Throughout this area, there was a ridiculous amount of water surrounding us. Not only the Mississippi, but other small bodies of water. I am terrified of water, so at this time I covered my eyes and distracted myself. I have always had a fear of water, and wasn't aware the train would go over the water that closely. This was towards the end of the trip, therefore I knew it was almost over. Finally we arrived, and I could breathe again.