Local Artists

A person could walk the city of New Orleans for days looking at art. Of all the cultures in New Orleans, art is one of the most well known. From famous artists around the world to local artists, if you're looking for a good piece of art this is the city to go to. 

Our assignment for the day was to walk Royal Street, well known for its art galleries, and find our absolute favorite piece of art. This was a little overwhelming at first, I mean how does one chose just one art piece? They are all beautiful and have some kind of a history. After walking up and down the street and visiting several galleries I finally found the one. You know when you are looking for something and you see the most perfect thing and you just know it's the one? That's exactly how I felt when I found this particular piece of art. Galleria Rue Royal was the home of this art piece. It was the most beautiful picture of Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffanys. One of my all time favorite ladies is Audrey Hepburn, her style is perfectly classic. I'm not much of an art person, but when I saw this art piece I immediately fell in love and even dreamed of buying it. At a cost upwards of $20,000 obviously I could never purchase it, but if I could I absolutely would! The artist wasn't local but has a long family history in the art and show business, his name was DeVon. This artist specializes in pop art and has art all over the world. I was so glad we had the opportunity to explore the art of New Orleans, because it ended up being such a memorable time and I fell in love with something I would have never guessed. 

Do's and Don't of New Orleans

New Orleans is a city unlike any other and as a new visitor it can be a little overwhelming. You don't know what it's going to be like, you don't know what to expect, you can only hope you have a great time. 

First of all, do prepare yourself for a very long train ride. I have been on many car rides to and from Florida, which is about an 18 hour car ride. Since I have made this long journey many times before, I wasn't too worried about the long train ride. Well let me tell you, a long train ride is nothing like a long car ride. In the car you can stop as much as you want and get out as much as you want, you are in complete control. This is not the case on the train, there are only so many stops that allow for the opportunity to get out and stretch outside the train. The bathroom on the train is less than ideal, so bring plenty of sanitizer if you are a germ freak like myself. Do bring your own snacks and drinks because the train food is not good at all and is expensive. Lastly, so bring a pillow and blanket those are an absolute must. 

The New Orleans trip is filled with many wonderful and educational tours, however these tours involve a lot of walking. So my suggestion would be to bring the most comfortable walking shoes you own as you will most likely wear them the majority of the trip. The tours are also inside and outside so bring clothing that is weather appropriate. The weather in December in New Orleans was unpredictable so do being a coat and rain gear, trust me you will be glad you did. 

Lastly, do try and make the most of your time. Yes, it is fun to go out on a Friday night on Bourbon Street, but don't drink so much that you will spend your entire free day laying in bed. The city has so much more to offer than just Bourbon Street so don't be afraid to explore, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Presbytere and Cabildo

The Presbytere building is the home of the Hurricane Katrina museum. August of 2005 was a big month for me. I moved to a new town and started high school. August 2005 was also the month that the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. I remember my Health Education teacher telling our class that a big hurricane was coming towards the US and was headed for New Orleans. At the time, being a young high schooler, I had no idea the significance of the storm that was about to forever change our country. For what felt like months afterwards all I saw on the news was more stories of Katrina and the aftermath. At the time I thought our government and other agencies had rushed to the rescue and helped the city to recover. After visiting the Katrina museum at the Presbytere, I shockingly learned the tragic truth. 

The people of New Orleans were left for days without electricity, water, food, and any sense of hope. Our government did not work together to get these people out and media stories lied saying people had gotten out when in reality they were very much still trapped. New Orleans survived thanks to many of their own citizens. Brave men and women of the city worked together doing whatever they could to help each other in each and every way you could think of. From saving people from drowning to cooking meals for those without food, a city was able to come together in the worst situation imaginable. After visiting this museum I have an extraordinary amount of respect for this city and the people in it. 

Excursion

For anyone who has been following my blogs, you would know that our trip to the Whitney Plantation was the thing that I was most excited to do on the trip. One might think that being a nursing student and being around healthcare I would have been excited for the Hansen's disease museum, but I really wasn't all that excited. I couldn't tell you why I wasn't excited, it just didn't interest me as much. However, after visiting the Hansen's disease museum I was really glad this was part of the trip. I learned a lot about the disease itself that I didn't know before. I honestly never really knew what the disease was at all until we went to the museum. I think it's incredible that this facility was a place for people from all over the country to go to and they could stay as long as they wished. The museum itself wasn't all that interesting, but the grounds were really spectacular. The property is huge. I was so glad the tour guide was able to drive us around the property and explain in detail what each building was because this really gave a more clear picture as to what it was like to be a patient there or a staff member. I would recommend this tour to anybody, even though I didn't like the museum as much as I did the actual tour of the grounds.
Now, the Whitney Plantation was next on our agenda. I had been excited for this since before we left Illinois. When I saw that this was on our itinerary I immediately looked it up online and read some background information. I knew ahead of time that this particular plantation was directed more towards depicting the life of the slaves than it was a tour of the plantation and owners. I've never been on a tour of any plantation, but was glad this particular tour was going to show us a side most people don't get to see. The plantation tour far exceeded any expectation that I had. I felt that I really got to better understand the types of slaves that had been there and their daily lives. We all know about slave owners and the lavish lives they typically lived, but we don't always hear the other side. We don't hear the cold, hard truth about what it was like to be a slave every single day. In school I was fortunate enough to learn a lot of history so I wasn't necessarily shocked at the things we learned at the plantation. All I can think is that I am thankful that we live in a free world today, but going on this tour made me even more thankful. I can't imagine what that life truly would have been like, but I'm glad our world has changed since those times. I would highly recommend this tour to anybody, even if you're not on a class trip.

Missing Home

Taking a week long trip to New Orleans sounds like a great idea, until you realize how much you actually miss your home and family. This past week has been one of the most adventurous and exciting weeks ever, but as we near the end of the trip I really am starting to miss my family and my home. For those who don't know, I have one six year old daughter and her name is Jayda. Of course, I knew leaving her for an entire week would not be easy but I did have a plan. I planned to talk to her on the phone at least once a day and FaceTime once every night. Being able to hear her voice and see her face made the distance not seem so far. However, due to unfortunate circumstances the electronic device my daughter and her dad were using to FaceTime died on the fourth night I was here and they did not have access to a charger the rest of the time I was here. So I was left with only talking to her on the phone and sending pictures. I was doing okay until today. For some reason, I broke down today and got extremely upset and homesick. I am beyond excited to get back home and see her smiling face.
If I could give any advice to a student who has a family like me who might be interested in going on a travel course it would be have a plan. Having a solid plan to communicate with your family back home is going to be really important in making sure you don't start to get homesick too early. Making time is also really important. The schedule has been very busy during this trip so it was really important to still set aside time to talk to my family. Lastly, I would suggest being patient. I have missed my family from the moment I left them, but by staying patient and knowing the week would go by fast I have been able to stay positive. Going on this trip has been a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone, but definitely have a plan!

Free Day!

Two words every college travel course student likes to hear, free day! Deciding what to do on a free day in New Orleans was not an easy task. The sky was the limit and we were free to do as we wish. Those who know me probably could've guessed already, but for those that don't I chose to go shopping on my free day. The city has two really incredible shopping malls and since I love shopping that's what I did on my free day. The day started out with breakfast, I had oatmeal, just as I have every other day we've been here. I don't really care for anything else they have at the free breakfast, so oatmeal it is! Then a couple other students and myself headed to the Riverwalk Outlet Mall. One of my absolute favorite stores is at this mall, Coach. I have a small obsession with purses and all things fancy so naturally I had to go to this store. Now, did I buy anything you ask? I sure did! I found the most beautiful purple purse ever! After the purse purchase I didn't think the day could get much better, until we headed to Tiffany & Co. At Tiffany's I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to try on an almost $150,000 diamond ring. I was almost terrified to even touch the ring, but I tried it on and it was beautiful. Most people wouldn't get as excited about this experience as I did, but I'm a girl who likes shiny things so this was really exciting for me! All in all, it was a very successful free day spent in a wonderful city and I'm excited for tomorrow!

Music, Treme, and Pharmacy

Music is one of the first things, other than food of course, that comes to mind when you think of New Orleans. After being here only a short time I have already been exposed to a variety of music and art. Typically people think of jazz music when they think of this city, but I have heard everything from jazz, gospel, rap, and country. That's one of the great things about this place is there is no specific "type" of music you have to listen to. New Orleans offers a little bit of everything when it comes to music, so no matter you're interested in you're sure to find it here. I was raised in a musical home and was exposed early on to all different types of music. I think that might be why I like this city so much, because it has all the music I like, not just one specific trend like most other cities. I am a horrible decision maker so the fact that I don't have to chose what kind of music I want to listen to, that I can walk one block and listen to something new every ten minutes, is pretty amazing to me. Without music, New Orleans would just not be the same, not even close. The people would be different, the atmosphere would be different, and I think the tourists would be different as well. Music defines this city like a dictionary defines words. When we went on our music tour we learned that New Orleans is the home of many "firsts" when it came to music.
On our music tour we got to walk through Treme. This place is really special for a lot of different reasons, but mostly because it was the home for many musical influences of this city. Congo square is what comes to mind when I think of music and Treme. For those who do not know about Congo square, it was the place where the slaves would gather on Sundays and play their music. The music that was played in Congo square by the enslaved people surprisingly had a big impact on the city back then and still plays an important part today. The people of New Orleans still gather in Treme and have a Mardi Gras celebration of their own, similar to that of the enslaved people. Tradition is a big deal in this city and is something a person realizes very quickly after being here.
The last tour of the day was the pharmacy museum tour. While I can't say it was my favorite tour, it was definitely top of the list. The pharmacy, like many other places, had a lot of history to offer. For those who don't know, New Orleans is home to the first licensed pharmacy in the country. That means the first ever pharmacy opened up right here in this city and we got to tour it. There were several original artifacts and the tour guide vividly described the history for us. We learned that because New Orleans had a high rate of diseases like yellow fever, malaria, and cholera that they needed to do something to help the people. Now, the medications that were given back then we learned were actually very potent and dangerous. Some medications even contained harsh metals such as lead. Even though the medications given back when the pharmacy first opened weren't the most helpful, the fact that this city was so far advanced is really incredible. I've enjoyed every minute of the trip so far and can't wait to see what awaits us!

History & Cuisine

Wow, talk about an adventurous day! Day number two in New Orleans was nothing short of an adventure. The day started out as a foggy morning but somewhat warm. Well, that changed really quickly. As soon as we got off the street car to walk to the cemetery, it started pouring down rain. This rain was a trend the rest of the day leaving me to feel wet, cold, and gross. The first tour of the day was that of the St. Louis cemetery. I did know that New Orleans built their cemeteries above ground because of the water issues, however seeing it in person was still shocking. The tombs are all so different, some are really nice and some not at all. I actually thought there would still be grass between the tombs, like there is in our cemeteries back in Illinois, but this one was all concrete. I don't know why, but I think it made it feel like less of a cemetery for some reason. I originally thought that I might feel sad walking through the cemetery, but because there was so much history and information I actually felt intrigued not sad at all.
The next big adventure for the day was the cuisine tour. Now, I know that we have not even finished half of our trip, but this might be my favorite part of the whole thing. Not only was this tour great because we got to try all different kinds of food, but the tour guide was absolutely outstanding. We started out at the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Antoine's. I can't even begin to describe this place other than beautiful and elegant. I would not change a single thing about this place, I absolutely loved it. The food we tried here was gumbo. My first gumbo experience ever and it wasn't as bad as I thought! I actually liked the gumbo, which for me is surprising because I don't stray too far from pizza and pasta usually. The next place we went was a sweet store where we got to try pralines. This is a very sweet treat full of nuts and sugar. A lot of people thought it was a little too sweet, but I really liked it! Although I do have a sweet tooth and will eat just about anything with sugar. Next we went to the dreaded oyster restaurant. I absolutely have never ever wanted to eat oysters. They look gross and smell gross and I have never been interested in trying them, ever. Well, nobody else in the group wanted to volunteer so of course, I did. What an experience that was. First of all, learning how to eat an oyster correctly is an art all on it's own. I had no idea what I was doing and was terrified I might puke it all back up. I finally worked up the courage to eat the whole thing and it was almost as awful as I expected. Thankfully, the load of hot sauce I put on there helped block out the oyster taste, but it still was far from anything I'd ever want to eat again. The next food tasting was my absolute favorite. One word, muffuletta. This mouth watering, yummy sandwich full of awesomeness was one of the best things I've ever tried. Now, I like all sandwiches and probably would have liked the sandwich no matter what. However, this sandwich was especially extraordinary. The meats were delicious, the olive salad was just the right extra touch, and the bread was phenomenal. I absolutely can't wait to go back and get another one!
The night ended with a walk to Frenchmen street. This street is so bright and full of wonderful music and rich New Orleans culture. You can begin to hear the music and see all of the lights before you even reach the street itself. It is not your typical nightclub, bar theme though. This is so much more different than anything I've ever experienced. I felt that even in a city as big as New Orleans, these tiny little music clubs can make you feel right at home. Some people were not as interested in the music because they don't like older music, but I am a huge fan so the music was by far my favorite part. I loved old music and to hear these local bands, even if it was just from the sidewalk outside, was really a great time! I can't wait for what still awaits us on this trip!

Arrival

After what seemed like an eternity on the train, I was beyond excited to finally arrive in New Orleans. I was ready to get to the hotel and start exploring. The plan was to walk from the train station to the hotel since it was less than a mile away. Now, one would think walking less than a mile, no big deal, but it was most definitely a big deal. Actually, I would say the walk from the train station to the hotel was more like a nightmare. I had four bags and they felt like they weighed ten million pounds after carrying them all that way. For awhile, I thought we were never going to get to the hotel. My shoulders felt like they were on fire because they hurt so bad, I was drenched in sweat, and all I wanted to do was take a shower. Thankfully, my roommates were nice enough to let me shower first and I felt a million times better after that! 

The street car ride to the French Quarter was nice and way better than walking after the nightmare walk from the train station. I was beyond excited to finally get to the French Quarter. My aunt was born and raised in New Orleans so I've been hearing about the city all my life and finally get the chance to explore it myself. My first impression were not quite what I expected them to be. I really don't know what I expected, but the experience was so much better than I would have ever imagined. The Quarter is literally like a scene from a movie. It took me awhile to realize that it was a real place and not some fake movie set. The buildings are picture perfect and the lights are absolutely beautiful. 

Dinner at Pierre Masperos was such a great experience. The restaurant was absolutely adorable and the food was delicious. I am a pretty picky person when it comes to my food, but I was impressed with the food and the service. The waitress was completely on top of things and never once left anyone out or forgot anything. I ordered the chicken alfredo, it was cooked absolutely perfect and the alfredo sauce was to die for, even better than Olive Garden. 

The best part of the night was the ghost tour. I'm normally not interested in things like that, but this city has so much history I was immediately pulled in. The tour guide did a phenomenal job telling the stories, giving vidid descriptions, and really keeping us on the seats edge. I learned so much more than I thought I would on this tour. Not only was it fun and exciting, but really informative. I felt like I learned more about New Orleans history in the brief couple of hours on the tour than I have my whole life. I'm so thankful for Colleen, our instructor, setting up this tour! 

Departure

What a trip it has been so far! The moment our group left the college to head to the bus station I was out of my comfort zone. I have only been on a bus a handful of times and never have actually been to the bus station. Shockingly, the inside was pretty calm and not near as chaotic as I thought it might be. Unfortunately, the trip got off to a slightly rocky start when the bus was late arriving and claimed to not be aware that there was a big group of us. The bus situation continued to be quite the adventure. Finally after getting everyone on the bus, we became aware that the heat on the bus was not working. This was not exactly the news I was hoping to hear. From there, the defrost apparently was not working either and it got a little crazy. The bus driver could barely see out of the windshield because it kept fogging up and there was no working defrost! Thankfully, we finally made it to Champaign safe and sound. Now we could relax a little while we waited for our train to arrive and got some dinner.

The train arrived on time, and I was beyond happy about that after the not so wonderful bus trip we had just experienced. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but the train was nothing like what I had thought. There was a lot more space and the chairs actually looked comfortable! I must have some horrible luck though, because I got a seat that the footrest didn't work. I suppose I could have switched seats, but I decided to stay. Now, sleeping on a train is most definitely not an ideal situation but with the crazy day I had I was beyond ready to get some rest! About an hour after boarding the train I was sound asleep. I did wake up a few times and was not the most comfortable I've ever been, but I was happy to get some sleep! 

I woke up this morning around 6am when the train was stopped in Memphis. I wish I would've been able to see more of this famous city, but it was still mostly dark so I couldn't see much. The rest of the ride hasn't been that scenic. Trees, fields, trailers, and churches have been the majority of the scenery. Although I wasn't expecting much more considering railways are usually not in the most exciting parts of town. We only have a few more hours left and I'm so excited to be off the train and in New Orleans! 

Preparation

Preparing for this trip was a little chaotic. With final exams finishing up, work, and Christmas activities I did not have as much to pack as I would have liked. To make sure I packed everything I needed, I made a check list. I wrote down everything that I would need to pack for the trip and checked the items off as I packed them. The weather for the next week in New Orleans is supposed to be warm and cool, so I packed short and long sleeve shirts, jackets, and a coat just to be on the safe side. I also decided to bring a few different pairs of shoes also depending on what the weather will be like. Food was another item on my check list. I like to snack a lot, so naturally I packed snack foods like pretzels, chips, and granola bars. Thankfully, I did not need to purchase anything for the trip other than the food items, because I already had everything else that I needed. I noticed one of the places that we will be going is called the Whitney Plantation. This is a place I have never heard of before so I decided to do some more research before we left for the trip. I was able to google the plantation and look at some pictures of the different buildings on the property and read a little about the history. As a mom, there were a lot of arrangements that I needed to make before leaving for the trip. I had to arrange someone to take my daughter to school every day and also someone to pick her up. My daughter is also involved in tumbling and I had to arrange for someone to take her to her practices while I'm gone as well. Thankfully, I have someone taking care of her at all times so it was not as stressful as it could have been. I have never been on a train before or on any kind of travel class for that matter, so I wasn't really sure how to prepare. One of the big things I did to prepare though was to check the weather. Knowing what the weather is supposed to be like helped me pack and prepare tremendously. Rain is expected a couple of the days that we will be in New Orleans so I was able to pack appropriate rain gear. Overall, I feel prepared and excited for the class. 

Course Expectations

I believe the trip is going to be very busy, but in a good way. According to the itinerary we have many things planned for each day. Since there are many things planned I believe the class will be full of learning opportunities and a chance to express what we've learned through our blogs. The trip consists of many tours and new experiences, which hopefully will allow for expanded knowledge and new perspectives on lifestyles and culture. One thing I would really like to get out of the course is new knowledge of a culture and lifestyle that is different than mine and how I can utilize that information to make me a better nurse in the future. Having the opportunity to visit a place so far away from home and experience a different way of living I hope will help me to be a better nurse by expanding my cultural knowledge and is why I decided to take the class. Local people of New Orleans, cultural practices, and healthcare in New Orleans are all things I would like to experience and learn more about because I think it will help expand my cultural nursing knowledge and help me be a better nurse. The thing I am looking forward to most on the trip is the tour of the Whitney Plantation. I had never heard of this plantation until this trip, but from what I have researched so far it sounds like an incredible place. The plantation seems to have a lot of history to offer it's visitors and I am very excited to learn more. 

Urban Settings

When I think of urban settings I think of big cities. I think of places like Chicago or New York City. I picture skyscrapers, big bridges, tall hotels, apartment buildings and condos, busy roads, public transportation, and people walking or riding bicycles. I imagine the urban lifestyle to be very busy and chaotic. I picture people always being in a rush to be somewhere. I think urban experiences are one of a kind experiences that you can't get anywhere else. I think that even in a big city, the experiences can still feel very intimate. I imagine New Orleans to be much like this, one of a kind. I imagine it to be a very big city, with a lot of people, and many tall buildings. However, I feel that the experiences in New Orleans are ones that you won't get anywhere else. The history and culture of New Orleans is so much stronger than some of our nation's other large urban cities and I feel that this contributes to some of the unique opportunities available in this city. I am so excited to take this trip and can't wait to find out for myself what the city is truly like.