The last week of August 2005, a natural disaster struck the southern United States and impacted millions of lives. Hurricane Katrina caused grief, tragedy, and despair. But for me, it was a blessing in disguise. One of the 400,000 displaced citizens of New Orleans was 15-year-old Chelsea. Fearing the storm and the damage it would cause, Chelsea fled her home in search of refuge. Almost 700 miles later, in St. Louis, Missouri, she stopped. She moved in with a host family, and enrolled in a local high school. And there, she met me.
Chelsea and I shared only one class, but during that class we bonded. We began hanging out outside of school: we shopped, went to concerts, and explored festivals. Chelsea told me about the home she so dearly missed: the city and its rich culture, her family and their traditions, her friends and what they did for fun. I dreamed of traveling to this amazing place, and when Chelsea left St. Louis and returned to New Orleans for good, I was jealous. Chelsea and I continued to e-mail, talk on the phone, and write letters.
My fears of losing touch vanished, and when she invited me to come to New Orleans for a week during the summer, I jumped at the chance. The summer of 2006, nearly a year after the storm, I prepared to take my first solo plane ride. I was nervous, but the promise of seeing my best friend for the first time in months soothed my fears.
After an interminable flight over Lake Ponchartrain, the plane landed. I gathered my things from the overhead compartment, and rushed out of the plane. The airport was empty; the eerie silence reminded me of the reports I’d seen on the news of the airport being used as a mausoleum following the storm.
As I hurried to baggage claim, I realized for the first time I was entering a city that had suffered an immense tragedy. With great relief, I embraced Chelsea as we waited for my luggage. The air was hot and muggy, and Chelsea’s mom, Miss Judy, gave me a reassuring hug and loaded my bags into the trunk.
Chelsea booked a surprise cooking class for us, and as we discussed the coming week, I was filled with excitement. We arrived at the cooking class at a local mall. I was apprehensive at first; I’d never eaten Cajun or Creole, and spicy was my worst enemy. With each shake of the “Slap Ya Mama” spice shaker, I grew more nervous. What would I eat for the week? The cooking instructors added dish after dish to our plates, and I apprehensively took my first bite. The food was amazing!
When the class ended, we climbed back into Miss Judy’s car. Excited to see Chelsea again, I paid little attention as the view outside the car changed. When Ms. Judy began talking about the damage, I almost didn’t know what she was referring to. Now, as I looked out the window, the area surrounding us was heartbreaking. Homes were ruined and trash was everywhere. Big spray-painted Xs covered the fronts of the houses, the recovery teams’ signatures. I again remembered the images I’d seen on the news of families leaving their homes and belongings behind. Many would never return. I continued to see disturbing images like these throughout the week.
Though she’d been seeing these images daily for over six months, I witnessed Chelsea’s continued pain. While much of the city feigned normalcy, many parts had not. Often I found myself turning my head to look away. Luckily, Chelsea and I did experience a lot more than the sad effects of the hurricane. I submerged myself into a culture completely unlike my own. The brass instruments of street musicians played lively jazz tunes. Po’ boys, red beans and rice, gumbo, and beignets were staples at every meal. Thick southern accents and New Orleans pride created an atmosphere like no other city.
Leaving New Orleans was hard. I hugged my best friend and held back the tears, knowing that it would not be my last visit with Chelsea. I boarded the plane and headed home; glad to be back where I could pronounce everything on the menu. I missed Chelsea, and still do. My best friend by my side, exploring a city like no other, my first trip to New Orleans was one I’ll never forget.
Adriana Hart-Schmidt of Webster Groves, Missouri won Honorable Mention for this essay.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
1 Reply to “N.O.L.A. and Me”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Cute. Made me hungry. Have you gone back since?
WOW ITS REAL BEAUTIFUL..
Much better place in Palawan… like El Nido and Club Noah in taytay
Congratulations on your son's upcoming graduation!
For all the information you'll need to plan a houseswap, please search the familytravelforum.com site for "house swapping" or "home exchanges" and you'll find some recommended services that specialize in this.
Let us know how it goes! thanks
Angela, you can read more about the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative at this link:
http://www.familytravelforum.com/how/vacation_deals/227-News-Families-Have-Cheaper-WHTI-Options-for-Kids-Land-and-Sea-Borders.html
According to the WHTI website, you are required to obtain parents' permission, and we quote from them:
Groups of Children:
Beginning June 1, 2009, U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 19 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team, may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
The group should be prepared to present a letter on organizational letterhead with the following information:
* The name of the group and supervising adult,
* A list of the children on the trip, and the primary address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child,
* A written and signed statement of the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child.
Thank you for your post. We are looking for a family vacation in France for my son's senior graduation and this sounds just perfect! I've never thought about house swapping or how that is done. Could you please give me more information on how one would go about doing that. I am very interested. I'm glad your family had so much fun.
Bali Himmel Reisen offering you the high quality tour programs in Bali island. which so many kind of tour programs will make your holiday better.
let's come to bali island with us and feel our best service to you.
fore more information please visit:
http://www.balihimmel-reisen.com
Hi there,
We are students at the University of Hong Kong and would like to invite you to complete an online survey about DiscoverHongKong.com (an official tourist website of Hong Kong Tourism Board).
This survey looks at whether the information resources and services provided on DiscoverHongKong.com fulfill your information needs.
The survey is very short and user friendly. It will take about a few minutes of your time. All answers are anonymous. Please go to http://www.online-survey.net/survey-4117 to complete the survey.
Thank you in advance; and hope you have an excellent experience in Hong Kong.
friends
This sounds great! I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans.
Wow, I didn’t know that the disabled were shunned in Jamaica. This was informative and heartwarming!
“I was served a sublime slice of humble pie.” I liked that a lot. You have a bunch of great one-liners in here. Really well written!
Backpacking’ll do it. Great title!
I highly recommend another excelent option to do bike tours in buenos Aires, Buenos Aires City Tours on Bike | Urban Biking.
Thank you very much,
Regards,
Guille
Nepal is good destination for adventure lover. We can announce proudly we have more then 13 highest mountain among the world. Nepal is not famous just for mountain it is famous other adventure activities too. Like river, natural beauty and different culture, society, and many religion too. Nepal have very good destination for trekking, hiking, peak climbing, paragliding, bungee jumping, and other more we offer all above activities at suitable price for you .we would like to be your family member, and Thing positive be positive Nepal will be your's Home and I will be your family member if you choose me .hope see you at my place with your sweat smile.
Sandesh Sharma
http://www.nepalvillagetrek.com
nepalviewtrek@hotmail.com
+9779841397842
Really a fabulous article……………
<a href="http://www.ibowsolutions.com">It Solution</a>
I like the bit about the B- movie vampire. Interesting!
Wow. I can’t imagine doing anything like this! Have you climbed more since?
Funny. Cool story!
good afternoon
wowww beautiful… nice place
thanks for sharing this camp, i think i should visit it with my family.
good read, thanks for this article
We have eaten at the restaurant and had drinks at the bar at this Ritz. Both times we left saying they need better customer service. Not up to Ritz standards in our opinion
Would visiting this resort cost me a lot?
Hi, we have been in Athens last summer with our 2 children. It was great!if you are traveling to Athens, there are many attractions for families e.g> Copa copana Park, Allou fun park,Hellenic Cosmos, the cultural center which is a child-oriented museum with exhibition halls, its really great! and many other things for family, try this> http://www.facebook.com/cityofathens?ref=ts,
our senior group from penn estates would like info on a day trip to your facility as we have in the past. please forward info price etc for us to plan and open dates
We love KBH. We have returned many times and are always treated great and have a wonderful time. Price is great too.
This is definitely the wave of the future and will be a demand for traveling business people. I think it has a great design and works well for its intended purpose.
This is devastating. Well-written and insightful, though. Nicely done.
Wow, amazing. It’s interesting that this stuck out in your mind so well even after travelling to so many different locations. Well done!
This IS really good. You have a very captivating writing style; it brought be in at the very beginning. The rose thing was amazing. Well done!
what a joyful clever piece
i can see myself there
i think i dream when i see this beach
but i live in egypt
i love it so much. it's my dream. but now i dont have any money:-(
Please confirm my reservation for Aug 23 in the name of Hansford and Bortels. My question is: is the dining casual as in shorts and sandals? Thank you, and again please confirm my reservation.
Thanks yahoo.
Sounds like fantastic, chaotic fun! Take us along next time!
Hilarious review. I'm not sure I would go but your honest review makes it almost tempting.
This place sounds just great. We had a similarly cultural and fun weekend at Kutscher's in the Catskills and perhaps some of their guests go to the Doral Arrowwood on alternate weekends!
Thanks for sharing what sounds like a great cheap family vacation.
i hope travel to uroup but i am poor i dont have more money ,
Nice article…I appreciate the effort for posting this…
In my experience, babies usually like the sound and smell of someone they miss, and may stop crying.
maybe your partner can make a tape/phone message of their voice, and leave behind some clothes, like pajamas, that they might feed the baby in. Having that to offer the baby might comfort her.
Another option is giving baby something warm and moving, like the feeling of being rocked in someone's arms. our son loved being wrapped in a blanket and held on top of the clothes dryer (turned on low), which moved a bit, made some sounds, and seemed to help him stop crying.
Otherwise, just wait. It is sure to pass.
wah it is v amazing and wonderful resort
Nepal is a very popular destination for trekking and expedition. The range of treks in Nepal varies from a short gentle hike through terraced foothills to lengthy expeditions to Mount Everest’s summit. Depending on your level of fitness, stamina or experience, you’ll find an adventure of your lifetime. The Himalayan regions of Nepal contain some of the best places in the world to go trekking. You can choose from treks like Everest base camp, Annapurna or Langtang to less popular trekking options including Mustang or Kanchenjunga Base Camp.Trekking is the gift of Nepal to the world in adventure tourism. To be one with Nature, to regenerate one's own confidence, to relive oneself, to appreciate Nepal's exquisiteness, to interact with its generous and responsive peoples are some of the places of interest of trekking in Nepal. Trekking is one long-lasting activities that draws reiterate visitors to the country. Consequently, Nepal is the definitive objective for the trekking supporter. for more information log on to nepal travel information website: http://www.nepalvisitors.com
no!!! the best beach in world is boracay!!!! ^_______________-
thanks n v informative
i'like porto saint georgo in italy why not in your list?
Funny. I enjoyed the bit about Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, etc.
This gave a wonderful picture of Dublin in my mind. I went to Ireland eight years ago; his brought me back.
I am also curious: what writing program were you on?