Yes, I was crazy enough to want to arrive in New Orleans the day before Hurricane Isaac hit - I had the tickets booked for weeks and had a friend to visit so I thought, hell, why not. It was my first stop before heading home after Santa Fe and I didn't want to miss it. Unfortunately I didn't get to breathe in the true life and energy that the city is famous for, but I got to see another side of it that most tourists probably never get to see. You're probably like "yeah, the inside of a local's living room with rain pounding on the windows", which is true, but there was so much more! The hustle of people boarding up their windows, the sense of community that formed around those that decided to stay, and the positive attitude that most people sustained in order to make the best of a bad situation. Only a day after it was over the bars and restaurants were opening their doors, sticking candles on the tables and taking advantage of bags of ice and BBQ grills on the streets. That would never fly in New York. I managed to get downtown a couple times, and what I did see I liked. It's like a piece of Europe chipped off, got lodged in Louisiana, then was spiced up by the subtropical southern Americans living down there. Big Easy, yes please...y?!
all boarded up for the storm
the night before the storm
my lovely host Kirche (and Molly!)
beads were falling from the trees - this is a real thing
clean up crew
my first beignets!
getting ready for Decadence on Bourbon St.
the hurricane menu (fresh off the grill from the sidewalk!)
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