Paige Scarbrough
At the beginning of last week, my mom and sister came down to visit and it was so much fun. Since my sister had never been to New Orleans, we went on a food tour of the French Quarter. We ate and learned the history of po’ boys, beignets, muffulettas, jambalaya, gumbo, and pralines. Our tour guide was a retired elementary school principal who had moved to New Orleans six years ago with his wife. They now live in an apartment on Bourbon Street. He told me that it doesn’t take long for you to fall in love with New Orleans. He and his wife fell in love after their first trip. After spending 2 months here, I can say without a doubt that he was right. The culture, the food, the people, and even the flooded streets whenever it rains make it easy to fall in love with this city.
There are many things that I feel like I’ve only ever seen in New Orleans (maybe because it’s only socially acceptable in New Orleans?), which has made for a very eventful and unforgettable summer. Some of the most memorable events are when:
There are many things that I feel like I’ve only ever seen in New Orleans (maybe because it’s only socially acceptable in New Orleans?), which has made for a very eventful and unforgettable summer. Some of the most memorable events are when:
o We travelled out to the bayou to see the swamps of Southern Louisiana, where I held an alligator for the first time. He was cuter than he was terrifying, so that was good.
o We met the amazingly talented and humble jazz singer Charmaine Neville at Snug Harbor and some in our group even got a chance to sing with her.
o We met the amazingly talented and humble jazz singer Charmaine Neville at Snug Harbor and some in our group even got a chance to sing with her.
o I ate beignets from Café du Monde in the middle of the night, and they were delicious.
o I spent the night cleaning up a kitchen sink that seemed to have a never-ending spew of dirty sink water coming from the drain that flooded our kitchen. If I hadn’t spent the night dealing with the sink, I would have been downtown bright and early to be chased by roller-derby women with bats at Running of the Bulls.
o I spent the night cleaning up a kitchen sink that seemed to have a never-ending spew of dirty sink water coming from the drain that flooded our kitchen. If I hadn’t spent the night dealing with the sink, I would have been downtown bright and early to be chased by roller-derby women with bats at Running of the Bulls.
o I discovered new sweat glands while doing hot yoga inside the NOLA brewery with 200 other people. I did not know that it was possible to have that many smelly and sweaty people in a confined space and not pass out.
o I fan-girled after walking past and being within touching distance of Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Solange, and their friends/family eating dinner in the French Quarter. My only regret is not getting a picture of Jay-Z and Beyonce as I walked past, but in my defense, I was in shock and on the phone when I walked past them. Oh well maybe next time?
o I fan-girled after walking past and being within touching distance of Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Solange, and their friends/family eating dinner in the French Quarter. My only regret is not getting a picture of Jay-Z and Beyonce as I walked past, but in my defense, I was in shock and on the phone when I walked past them. Oh well maybe next time?
As the final days of my time in New Orleans are approaching, I keep thinking back to all of the amazing things that I’ve been able to experience thanks to DukeEngage. One of the first weekends we went to an exhibit about Hurricane Katrina, which told the story of Katrina: the moments leading up to Hurricane Katrina’s arrival, the winds and storms once it reached land, and the devastation that followed. It’s amazing to me that even after such loss and devastation, the spirit of New Orleans was and still is so alive and vibrant. That being said, I’m constantly told how much work there is still left to do, and I’m grateful to have been able to play a small part in this rebuilding effort by working at SoFAB these past 8 weeks. I don’t know when or for how long I’ll be back in the future, but I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to be in New Orleans again.
*Also a huge thank you to our awesome program directors, Ashley and Juan, for making this experience possible because it was truly life-changing and this wouldn’t have been possible without your hard work, passion, and love for the city. THANK YOU!