Recon (cont.)

Day One: Slidell

My first day on my adventure in Louisiana was relatively uneventful. After finally catching some sleep at 8 AM following a night of talking with Lacey, we decided it would be a good idea to find some more clothes and pick up all the personal items that I had decided to leave home to avoid any trouble at the airport. While driving for the first time in Louisiana daylight, I was in awe of how much life surrounded the community. In fact, it wasn't just surrounding it. The forest and endless green was a part of the city. Wooded areas surrounded the shopping complexes and neighborhoods. The abundant greenery made exiting the freeway seem like traveling through a dense forest. Tall pine trees rise above their deciduous neighbors and create the visible sky line. It is an odd site for those like me that are used to pines being "christmas tree" shaped. These are all poles with a few branches and far more sparsely packed with needles than looks healthy. The trees also hide a plethora of other creatures that can only be heard as they go about life, their sounds emanating and creating a sort of music that becomes just another part of living there.

Our shopping trips were successful and soon it was time for bed. I felt satisfied with my first day in the South. The scenery is beautiful, the people were far more friendly than what I encounter in Utah, and thankfully I had been able to adjust to the humidity far quicker than I anticipated.

Success. Relief.

Day 2: Old Town Slidell and Lake Ponchartrain

After a late rising and playing with Lacey's brood of adorable children, it was decided that I must experience Old Town Slidell and that we were in need of a stop at the Re-Store--a fascinating store where things from old houses like doors and light fixtures, furniture and miscellaneous odds and ends are donated and sold to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

While we were exploring Old Town, we were hit with a rather intense rain. It seemed intense to me, however I found out that it was just a normal little rainstorm that happens all the time, especially this time of year. After locating the Re-Store and perusing it's treasures, I decided on a pair of cork lamps as my find. They looked rather shabby, but seemed to have potential to be quite beautiful. Meanwhile, the rain had returned and stronger this time. Getting back to the car and loading the children was an adventure, but we were successful. We then began heading back to Casa del Greco, however we spontaneously decided to go for a drive.

We passed many interesting places including a flea market and a nudist colony, however we made no stops along the way. Eventually we came to the turn to go the shore of Lake Ponchartrain. This option we did take and after a detour through a very lovely neighborhood, we stopped along the shore. It was magnificent. The lake is so large that the opposite shore isn't visible, save for the cityscape of New Orleans.

Back at the Greco's we unwound from our spontaneity and soon it was once again time for bed.

I'll be able to continue this sometime tomorrow evening. I hope I'm making this seem interesting because I had a wonderful time and want to share my experiences without boring anyone to tears. :) (And if Lacey is reading this, please correct me if I have any events on the wrong day. I have a habit of mixing up events between days.)

Louisiana - Recon

I returned from my re-con mission to the New Orleans area on Wednesday and couldn't be happier with the information I gathered. The city is even more vibrant and amazing than I could have ever expected and the general area is even farther beyond my expectations.

Before I get too far into this, I have to apologize. I fully intended to keep this blog updated daily about my adventures, however I rarely found myself in the mindset to write. This trip doubled as my vacation and apparently my mind checked out as well, stifling my need for an outlet--as well as my ability to string together any coherent posts.

I'll start from the beginning. Last Wednesday, the 16th of June, after waiting for the funds to be available for the trip, I was on my way to Salt Lake City for my much anticipated flight. While I was making the journey, my mind was busy doing its usual second guessing and worst-case scenario conjuring. This did little to suppress my excitement at the prospect of getting out of Utah and away from the daily grind, but the seed of doubt that had been laying dormant sprouted and began to grow. By the time I arrived at my Grandparent's home where I parked my Jeep for the week, I felt a definite doubt about this whole adventure. I doubted my desire to even go on this trip. I doubted my ability to be away from my family and friends for 7 days, let alone indefinitely once I move later in the year. Every possible scenario of disappointment and carefully laid plans gone awry was playing on endless repeat in my adrenaline soaked brain. I live with this sort of self-doubt every day but in this completely new and unknown situation it was impossible to brush aside or ignore. My grandparents weren't much help either. Even as they drove me to the airport my mother's parents couldn't help but relay stories they had heard about the evils of the people and the filth of the city. Thankfully this actually helped. Their attempts at "preparing" me for what I was about to experience reminded me of all the progress I had made internally in the past couple months. I was reminded of the personal breakthroughs I had while preparing for this very moment. During that car ride, I reasserted my control over my fears and once again felt ready for what was to come.

The airport experience was one that I was most anxious about. I have never been on an airplane, but it wasn't the flying that scared me. I fully understand the physics behind air travel and I had every confidence that short of a major mechanical failure, those laws of nature that have held up airplanes for more than a century wouldn't suddenly change simply because I was sitting in one of the seats. No, it was was the security checks and navigating the airport that worried me. It turns out that all of my fears were completely unfounded and most were borderline ridiculous.

My first flight was apparently quite eventful, though I hardly would have classified it as such. The take-off and first hour of the flight were filled with turbulence that had passengers around me and the small children aboard quite terrified. Having no previous experience in air travel and no expectations, I was fine and actually found it to be a fun ride--albeit quite boring once the rocking and bouncing subsided.

Once we landed in New Orleans, I eagerly awaited my turn to exit the plane. I was seated about 3/4's of the way back so this seemed like an endless wait. When it was finally my turn I headed down the isle. As I turned and started to exit, I was hit by a blast of hot, wet air. After wondering where this sticky heated air was coming from, I soon realized it was the air from outside coming in from around the portal of the gate. I was shocked. I had known it would be humid, I knew it would be hot, but having never experienced the two together I was thrown by this new sensation.

After a rather frustrating and ridiculous ordeal, and meeting a very nice woman with an adorable child that was going through the same problems as I was, I finally set out from the airport with my snazzy rented 2010 Mazda 3. Now, just a little geography lesson for those of you unfamiliar with the city of New Orleans. Louis Armstrong International Airport is located in the suburb of Kenner which is to the west of New Orleans proper. My wonderful friend Lacey, with whom I stayed with, lives in Slidell which is slightly east and north(and across Lake Ponchartrain) form the city. Now, the basic route you have to take seems simple: get on I-10 and travel east and you will get where you're going. There are plenty of signs to make sure you navigate the interchanges correctly--this should be an easy trip to make. And it was...mostly. The problem I had is that the rental company was out of GPS units. This wouldn't be problem because the Sprint Navigation app on my phone works quite well and I had my laptop there in case I had to rely on a map without real-time direction. Well, silly me forgot to make sure the phone OR the laptop were charged. So, after a short jaunt into Mississippi, a few nail-biting texts, and about two hours, I finally found the road I was looking for. I had finally arrived at the place I would call home for 7 days and was warmly welcomed by Lacey, and her three overly amped children who rather hilariously called me Mr. Pickle.

That's all I have time to post right now, but I will continue boring you all with my trip hopefully later this evening! (and please forgive any grammatical or spelling errors. I have no time to proofread or condense so this might seem rather long and rambling. LOL)

Blogging.

I've always wondered why people blog. It seemed to me to be such a pain to maintain and the stress of keeping posts interesting seemed annoying and unnecessary so I've stayed away from it. Until this one, of course. LOL. It turns out I wrong. I've found this to be an amazing way to help myself organize my thoughts and really understand all the things that life can teach a person. Most of these lessons and realizations that I've had never made it to a final post, but its amazing how writing about your life can put things into focus.

On the topic of my move and my "Big Adventure", my sister and I were able to finish up my move out of the old house with the exception of a few odds and ends today. It has been an incredibly draining and emotional process and I'm happy to be done. I have kept more things than I intended but I feel good about it because most of them are things I will actually use.

In much more festive news, I might be able to extend my holiday in Nola from 8 days to 13. Nothing is set for sure as of yet, however if the financial ends meet its going to be a done deal! "Why?", you might ask? Just what would be my motivation for such an extension? All I can say is this: Nola Pride 2010. (Is there more to say, really??)

In an unrelated note, I've decided to try my hand at writing a novel. I've mentioned the desire here before and now that I have a decently solid character set and a basic story arc, I'm going to jump on it. I feel inspired by my current situation, so for those that get to read it while its in progress or finished, you might see where my inspiration has come from. I just hope its not incredibly boring.

And there's something else I've failed to do until now. I need to thank you for reading my blog. It means a lot to me that anyone would care enough about my life and my thoughts on that life to read what I have to say. I know there aren't a lot of you, but I'd continue if there were only one. So Thank You!

And time keeps flying!!

Its been a little while since I posted and I have a few things to share.

First, I just have to say how excited I am to finally get to see this city that I've been dreaming about and making commitments to for months now. I leave in 6 days!!! OMG. I think I must be dreaming. It seems like just yesterday I made this crazy decision and started this insane adventure.

Secondly, this past weekend I continued my quest to experience all that this region has to offer in my short time I have left by attending the Utah Pride Fest for the first time. It was an amazing experience, and while I didn't do all the things I had planned, I will never forget it. The feeling of community and friendship that filled the entire grounds was something I've never encountered. Its hard to describe, honestly, and my limited abilities give me pause to even attempt it. Even as I spent some time alone wandering the booths and watching all the people, I never felt alone or judged or as if I wasn't important even in such a large crowd. I met some very nice people and their openness and kindness impressed me more than I can convey. All I can say is that I will never forget it and spending the time there was more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

Another notable happening has been moving out of my rented house. I'm lucky enough to have two great friends that are letting me stay with them for free to help me afford this endeavor. As I've been living with them with my very few things that I allowed myself to keep, I've realized just how wasteful and shallow I've been for so long. Here I sit in a chair next to my mattress, typing on my laptop. These three things have been all I've needed the week I've been here. I don't need the TV or the movies sitting in boxes or the surround sound system sitting ready to be set up. I don't need all the things I have yet to box up and send to the trash or donate that are sitting at the old house. No, I really don't need any of the things I've become so attached to. I've been so caught up with things that I've failed to notice the people in my life and their amazing qualities.

Just in the last few weeks as I've significantly downsized my load of belongings, I've realized that even though I thought I understood how much more valuable people are than belongings, I was still placing a higher value and giving more of myself to the things in my life than to the people. The realization shocked me to be honest, but its made me much more appreciative of the absolutely beautiful and amazing people in my life. I don't think I could ask for better friends and family members, and I know that without them I could never make this move a success. So, thank you and I love you all!!

On a super side note, I've always dreamed of writing a novel, and I think I may have just had a breakthrough in the inspiration department. We'll have to wait and see... ;)

When I read this, it makes me wish it was October.

Tonight I was rechecking apartment prices and job listings in New Orleans just to keep my finger on the pulse, so to speak, and I came across this article/blog entry that made me long for my adventure to truly begin! I'll link the page at the end, but I just want to share some excerpts that really stuck out for me.

"Music! Don’t even know where to start. The jazz, the creole, the zydeco, the blues – all with venues that are legendary and historic and to die for. I don’t forsee myself getting tired of dba, the Maple Leaf, Donna’s, Spotted Cat, Preservation Hall or for my indie music fix One-Eyed Jacks.

Festivals! Did you know there is actually a festival season? Yup there is. It’s technically in the spring and you just haven’t lived until you’ve eaten Crawfish Monica at Jazz Fest. But that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. Cause really festivals are all year long. Any time there is a weekend a reason to celebrate, people will come together for what they call a “fest.” French Quarter Fest, Mardi Gras, Voodoo Experience, countless smaller fests happening all the time promoting all the good local music and local food New Orleans has to offer. What struck me the most about New Orleans’ festivals when I was there this spring? The sense of FAMILY. Babies and grandmas are out at the festivals, it’s not just about a small demographic of college-aged kids out there listening to music, it’s everyone. And everyone is having a good time.

Culture! From second lines through the streets to sno-balls lines in the summer, competitions with men and women yelling “STELLA!” as loud as they can in Jackson Square to sitting next at Cafe du Monde with a beignet watching time go by, there is no end to the culture in New Orleans. Or the educational opportunities to find out about it, since New Orleans is home to Tulane University, Loyola University and the University of New Orleans."

I don't know about the rest of you, but experiencing all of this, even if in just a small dose, seems like an amazing way to live. I can already feel the energy and spirit of the city and I haven't ever been there! (Now lets hope I don't get there and hate it. :P)

Anywho, just had to share all that. The whole article can be found here.

In other news, I've decided that since I'm relocating to a new region of the country, I need to take advantage of my time left in the west and re-experience what it has to offer. So far this is to include a trip to Yellowstone/Jackson, Wyoming, and hopefully a little SoCal time. If any of you Westerners have any other suggestions for what I should include in my farewell tour, feel free to comment!!

Reaffirming my resolve.

A couple weeks ago I was spending some time with two good friends when they decided to read cards for each other. Having not had my cards read in quite some time(the reason for that is another story entirely) I decided I wanted to have a reading done. I chose a spread that is designed to answer direct questions. My questions was " Is this move the right thing for me to do?". I didn't ask the question because I was doubting my decision, or because I was told it was a giant mistake. Iasked it because I needed reassurance that it was the right thing for me.

Before I go into what the reading told me, I have to explain my view of "reading cards". I don't believe they have any magical power. I don't think they are "evil". I think they simply help you consider your situation and life more deeply. For me, they help me focus on an issue and consider all sides of it. They are an aid for self-realization. The only power they have is the credence you pay them.

Now that I've said that, I'll tell what the reading said.

Basically, it helped me realize that I came to this decision because I am a dreamer and I always have been but I rarely make my dreams reality because I fail to follow through. I was also told that I needed to take the criticism I was receiving and make sure I listened, but didn't let it sway me. I needed to remember where it was coming from so I could understand why it was coming and so I could not hold a grudge against my dissenters.

It went on to affirm that I was making a good decision and that I had prepared as well as I possibly could and that I would have to make sure that I kept my head on my shoulders and didn't lose sight of the larger goals to keep this move successful.

While I can understand that most of the people that will read this entry won't understand why I give this reading any credibility or had it done in the first place, I am just excited that I was able to really come to terms with my decision and understand it in ways I don't know that I otherwise would have.

Procrastinate? Moi?

When I made the decision to keep this blog, I convinced myself that I would keep up with it and have at least one update per week. As you can see, that hasn't been the case. Life and time in general has gotten away from me and now, after a battle the last week or so to even gain access to my account to post an entry, here we are again to read my current thoughts about this adventure I've somewhat foolishly embarked upon.

I say foolishly not because I am disheartened or feeling regret for my decision. I use the word to refer to my naivety to how complicated such a task would be to take on. Completely reinventing your life is messy business. Disposing of the old reveals feelings and attachments that weren't obvious before and can lead to deep introspection and self discovery. I had little notion of just how revealing and difficult this process would be, however I feel that already I am better equipped to survive this adventure than I may have been at its outset.

I'm amazed that the first major step of the plan that I put together to make this dream reality is less than a week away. Moving out of this house that I've called home for over two years, the house that I've become more attached to than any of my previous residences, is the only way I'll be able to save the necessary amount to make this move successful. I do also worry that in my excitement at having very few expenses I'll indulge in frivolous spending and cripple my savings. I guess I'll have to make sure I have a short leash on myself in that department.

All in all, I have to say that this "Big Adventure" is getting off to a great start and I can't wait to see what awaits me when I visit my future city of residence, New Orleans, for my vacation in mid-June.