Every January or February, I go on vacation with my husband. It’s partially a celebration of my birthday but also a much-needed getaway in the cold, gray winter.
This year, New Orleans called, and it did not disappoint.
I lived in New Orleans right out of college and immediately fell in love head over heels. I always thought I’d move back one day.
On my last trip to the Big Easy, it was during the 2016 U.S. election. I was attending an International Education conference in the French Quarter. It’s a very liberal, forward-thinking field of professionals, so we all excitedly gathered for an election watch-party at a gay bar.
I ended up going home early to my hotel room to cry alone under the covers of my bed.
Sooooo what I’m saying is that I really needed a redemption trip, something to replace my last memory of one of my favorite cities in the world.
About one week before we arrived, the New Years Day Bourbon-street attack happened, where fourteen people died tragically.
The locals were upset, but everyone we met remained upbeat. People continued to go to work and conduct business as usual.
The news moves so fast these days. It’s hard to manage the amount of information—so much of which is tragic or concerning recently—I consume. It seems like not long ago, an incident like this would linger in our minds much longer.
But here we are, low-key drowning in the information age.
We considered how to hold this tragic event in mind while being on vacation. On the first morning after arriving, we paid our respects at the memorial on the corner of Bourbon and Canal.
I don’t know how people do cruel things to one another, but loss of connection seems to be a major culprit, which is ironic given how connected the city is. More on that later.
You gotta give serious credit to New Orleans. It’s an incredibly resilient city.
While there’s no easy way to segue from tragedy, the local economy relies on tourists, and we were ready to contribute. So we soaked up everything NOLA had to offer us.
The locals are so friendly and proud of their city. On several occasions, people sniffed the tourism on us and asked us if we were visiting. They took the opportunity to recommend their favorite hidden gems—the city’s best bartender, the restaurant that once stood atop the Eiffel Tower, and how to get a 25-cent martini.
We saw Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers, Tuba Skinny, and Jacky Blaire & the Hot Biscuits. I had forgotten how much I adore watching artists pour themselves into their music. At small venues like the ones on Frenchman Street, you feel so much more connected to the performance. It took me a full day to get into vacation mode, but I finally got there as I swayed side to side at the front of the crowd for Kermit.
I hit up several of my old favorite spots, like the Sazerac Bar and d.b.a. A lot remained unchanged, but some things were notably different. It’s so weird to me how a moment in time is frozen, never to be experienced again. I loved the New Orleans of 2009-10, but I also love this new version. I couldn’t help but remember how young and naive I was the last time I enjoyed myself here.
In my opinion, there’s no where else on Earth you feel a city love you back as much as New Orleans.
Though I’m always happen to return home after a trip, I feel myself bringing back a piece of New Orleans that I pray doesn’t fade—connection! The people are deeply connected to their city and each other. I think they’ve nailed what’s most important in life.
Connection seems to be what’s missing for a lot of folks who’re struggling mentally and emotionally. I think this loss has lead to the increase in dehumanization of one another. It’s likely a contributing factor to the man responsible for the New Years attack.
As you look ahead to what you want to accomplish this year, I encourage you to consider connecting more with those around you. Look people in the eye. Recognize that the person on the other side of the screen is a human. Unplug from your devices. Honor your needs and desires but not at the expense of harming others.
Please, take care of yourself and your community this year 💛