Preparations & Expectations - Inner Journey

Going into such a trip with great expectations would not be the best thing for me to do. Although according to the itinerary we will be experiencing some great tours (some of which I never thought about doing), this is still a class. One thing that I am hopeful of is that there will be a balance between the exposure to New Orleans and the time dedicated to classwork. I am concerned that I will be too worried about making sure I get enough information and media for my blog work while on the tours that I will not show the most interest to the tour itself.

Technology is huge these days and it seems as though it is involved in many everyday tasks. It can also poison the experiences that people set forth to have. For example, people will attend a concert, but instead of authentically attending, they watch the concert through the screen of their iPhone 7. Sure, there is a recording of the concert for that person to show their friends, but what did that person observe? What senses did they use other than their sight through their camera? Did they experience an outer journey through seeing their favorite musician? Though I understand that this is a school course, I have expectations of myself to not let it take away from me being in the beautiful city and immersing myself in it before I begin gathering media for blog posts.

I took this course for the added knowledge I can gain about the city of New Orleans, not simply for the credit hours. I have family that live in Lafayette, Louisiana and I enjoy visiting that area. I have been to New Orleans for a day and adored the time I had. However, I admit that I am ignorant to what New Orleans is as a whole; full of so much history and many customs. I am in this course to revel in what made this city and how it has changed over time. I want to savor the food, to delight my ears in the Zydeco, and to paint the town by exposing myself to even more mannerisms that this course may not be able to supply.

I am most looking forward to the 17 hour train ride! Just kidding. I am eager for the cuisine tour. I have been on one around the area before, but I am sure there will be different places for this one. It will be intriguing to see what kind of food staples will be on this cuisine tour that I did not have on the one I went on. If I have the some of the same food, which I am sure gumbo will be, it will be amusing to compare the ones I have had and choose my favorite. Although, no gumbo will ever beat my dad’s. I am most anticipating the pharmacy museum tour. I did not know that New Orleans housed the first pharmacy. I have seen antique shops that have little tchotchkes here and there, but to see a whole museum dedicated to the history of pharmacies and to see the evolution of medicine over time. I am enthusiastic for everything on our itinerary, so I cannot wait to get on that train and start the trip to New Orleans!

Preparations & Expectations - Outer Journey

As far as preparations go, I have not done a single thing to start. I always make check lists of things to do, then use sticky notes for each item on each check list. Though I am not the most organized person, I do take pride in making sure I am prepared in every aspect as soon as I can be. Currently I am remaining calm about it since I am still home for the holidays three and a half hours from my apartment, but once I make it back I will be frantically getting everything together.

            I will have the most trouble packing clothes. As I shiver in my house that is currently kept at 67 degrees, I looked up the estimated weather for the first few days in New Orleans: 72, 69, 60, 52, and 57 degrees. While it will be much warmer there, it is still considered chilly in Illinois. Louisiana gets humid. This makes it difficult for me to choose the right clothes.  I get cold easily, so I will definitely be bringing my comfy green jeans, my soft gray cardigan, and plenty pairs of socks. I already know that at night I will need to sleep in some baggy pajama pants along with sweaters that should only really be worn outside for the fall with how thick they are.

I will need to be able to make time to go to the store to get snacks for the train and for the hotel room. If I could I would bring a whole barrel full of my mom’s pumpkin cookies from the holidays. The cookie tastes like the feeling of the holidays and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth, but keeps me salivating as I reach for another one. Nature Valley granola bars are my muse. The crunch from each bite leaves me tasting more honey than the last. They are extremely filling as well and would be a great option to bring along for travel.

I was fortunate enough to be able to have been given a cross body purse for Christmas. The teal leather of the bag compliments the light brown of the strap so well, and the gold accents of the zippers and the key that hangs on the side ties the whole look together. My fingers are crossed that I receive the black Nikes that I asked for for my birthday, otherwise I have no idea what I will be wearing for the long walks every day of the trip. I need to avoid the painful, achy feet for as long as I can.

Lastly, I am still in the process of arranging plans for my boyfriend and I for while I am gone. Our anniversary is on January 7^th, which we will still be in New Orleans on that day. Anniversaries are so important to us as we have such a great history, so I put forth an extra effort for him. I have filled in a booklet in which each page has a prompt that I answer about him. Even though I will not be with him physically to celebrate, I hope that as he turns each crisp page of that red leather book that he feels all of the love that I put into it with each stroke of the blue fountain pen. I appreciate him so much and for all of the help he has offered to prepare me for this trip with everything that I have stated already. And I know he will be there supporting me my whole time there.

Urban Expectations - Inner Journey

I have been to New Orleans before so I have a general basis of what to expect as I have experienced what I noted in Urban Expectations – Outer Journey. I cannot completely compare that experience to the upcoming one, however. One day of walking through the French Quarter is not the same as exploring the culture and history of the city with a microscope. I felt immense excitement to be in such a beautiful city, but to be able to learn about how the city became the way it is today is an even bigger goal of mine. I could not truly appreciate New Orleans and its distinct characteristics without knowing how it became that way.

The descriptions I made were my own personal experiences of the city. The New Orleans folk make everyone feel welcome with their hospitality. I genuinely felt welcomed by everyone even though I did not actually talk to many of them while I had visited. However I have visited Louisiana many times as I have family that live in the Lafayette area. I have conversed with many more folks of that area and they made me feel as though they were devoted to manners, hospitality, and making sure I was fed well. While some may feel that this is a stereotype of the folk of Louisiana, it seems to be how they are from whom I have met and conversed with.

I feel most comfortable in my quiet hometown or my relaxed and cozy apartment away from the busy city. I usually don’t feel comfortable being in busy areas, such as crowded concerts or in malls the day after Christmas. I can feel my heart racing when I am in these areas. It also makes my heart race when I hear many different conversations in one area because it makes it hard for me to focus on just one or with the one I am trying to have. I hold my breath when people hover over me or bump or rub against me. I am not sure if I am this way because of where I come from, or if it also in accordance to my personality. When I had my first visit to New Orleans, I felt all of these things consistently during my time there. I have had these feelings of shakiness, nervousness and anxiety in any area that is crowded, loud, and/or cannot converse. It makes me feel belittled in a sense. However, I am able to hold myself together as best as I can so as not to disturb those around me; such as family, friends, and even acquaintances. If I feel as though my anxiety is acting up, I do what I need to do for myself so that I do not effect those around me and the experience they are trying to indulge in as well as I am. I chose to participate in this course for the great experience that I will achieve through learning about the culture and the history that make up New Orleans and how it turned into such the efficient city that it is today.

Urban Expectations - Outer Journey

These days, I have two homes: Round Lake and Peoria, Illinois. Round Lake is my hometown that is the largest of the surrounding small villages. The smaller villages nearby stretch only a few roads whereas others take about a five- to ten-minute drive to make it through them. This is where I’ve grown up since I was only nine years old. Back then I was only a child, where laughter with friends was the only agenda of mine. When I visit home now I am always out and about running errands. I live in a suburban area, where in some parts there are cookie cutter homes in every direction and some areas where homes are more run down as the village has not taken over the upbringing of that section yet. My hometown is currently in the process of updating the shopping centers of the nearby towns, so as we drive to the brand new Meijer on Rollins Road to stock up on groceries we hear many jackhammers breaking up concrete and see all of the yellow vests of the construction workers that power those tools. This road used to be four lanes, but with all of the work going on it usually goes down to two depending on where the work is being done. Though there is plenty of hustle and bustle, the roads never seem to be congested, rather just a steady flow of sedans, SUVs, and Ford pick-ups wherever you look.

            Peoria, however, is way out of my comfort zone. Moving here for school means hearing the roaring of cars on War Memorial at a constant as I try to study my mountains of books in my apartment. Driving is much different in this city as the roads I see are always full of life with city drivers that speed like a road runner to get to their destination or coasters that are truly in no hurry to get a move on to arrive to theirs. I hear car horns so often that if I had a nickel for every time I heard one, I could possibly pay off my college tuition. The smell of yeast throughout the town is quite the way to wake me up early in the morning. Even with the busy city life, I still managed to find my home in a quaint area that I can still hear the birds chirping that reminds me of the coziness of my hometown.

            I have had the best of both worlds by living in my comfortable suburban village and experiencing the busy, fast-paced nature of the city, but neither will compare to New Orleans. I have been to New Orleans before and only for a day. In that one day, I was amazed at the efficiency of such a busy city. Wherever I looked I could see the habitants moving at a speed walking pace yet so effortlessly weaving in between each other as if they practiced this stunt before my arrival. Every building had its own unique architecture, as well as its own distinct smell. As I passed the red building, a souvenir shop, I could smell incense burning into the busy French Quarter, but there was also the smell of Cajun gumbo mixing with it as there was a native cuisine restaurant above. If there was a kiosk where there seemed to be rays of light drawing me to the powder sprinkled, freshly fried beignets, there was no way of stopping the overwhelming watering of my mouth unless I had at least three. This was two years ago. I am more than eager to get back to such an astounding area full of the nicest people I have ever met, where everyone uses “sir” and “ma’am” out of instinct. With some of my family being from Louisiana, it makes me more comfortable to be around those people that are more friendly than a puppy. The trip is coming up fast and I cannot wait to compare and contrast all of the areas I have lived to the city of New Orleans as well as gain new sensory experiences there.