Louisiana could best be described as the Melting Pot of the South. Whether a person is discussing the soulful tunes of Jazz music, the savoury taste of Southern cuisine, or the rich cultures one thing is a always true: this is one of the most diverse states around. When I visited New Orleans, Louisiana I fell in love with everything in the state: the night life, the diversity, and the learning experience. Sometimes, I wish that I never left.
Quarter Finalist 2013 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship
My family decided to take this trip due to my mom’s work convention which was also held down there. I was pretty excited because I would be able to see the home state of some of my favorite musicians. We stayed in the Ritz Carlton Hotel which was located in the French Quarters. This hotel was made for royalty, in my opinion. Chandeliers and amazing flower arrangements were spotted as soon as we walked in. Our room was beautiful, also. We had the perfect view so we could gaze over the street of New Orleans. Nothing was better than actually walking those streets, though. The whole city was a melting pot of cultures: Creoles, French, Italian, American, and even Greek. One of my favorite places was the Voodoo shop. In there, we could create personal voodoo dolls. Also, they sold alligators! Imagine that, a dead alligator sitting right in front of me! At the time I was petrified because never in my life had I seen anything like it. However, I had to get used to it because they were everywhere – in the stores, in the malls, in the food. Ah, I can still taste the delicious food! Louisiana has the best food in the United States. I tried different things such as Beignets, Po boys, Gyros, Gumbo, and an assortment of blackened meats (Some better than others). They were so hard to forget when we left, so we brought the recipes into our household.
Another New Orleans tradition that was brought into our lives was the celebration of Mardi Gras. We got a little taste of that tradition when we visited Bourbon Street. Now, every year we celebrate Mardi Gras in our house. We had so much fun in Louisiana which is why it was so hard to say goodbye. The trip did a lot for my family. It taught us how to explore new things even if it seems weird. It taught us how to learn about new cultures outside of ours. It taught us how to be a family again and have fun together. One day, I hope to take my family on this trip. It brought a new light to my life on how I see others, and hopefully it’ll do the same for my family. If I did take them on this trip I’m sure of one thing: they’d always want to return. If it was possible, I’d take that trip again a million times.
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