A Love Letter to New Orleans

As a twenty-something year old, I was never excited when people talked about New Orleans. To me, it seemed like a place of wild parties and forgotten experiences. Crazy nights and hazy days spent in a hot city- not my idea of a good time. Then, my sister said to me one day, "No, Kera, that's Bourbon Street. Don't you remember Ruby?"

Now, for those of you that don't know, Ruby is a character in a V.C. Andrews book. She's supposed to be the main character, but, as in all V.C. Andrews novels, the main character is really a place- and in this case, that place is New Orleans.

So, I re-read the series. As I got older, people would tell me a bit more about New Orleans, and now that my circle consisted of more people than twenty two year olds, I heard about all of the history, art and music that lived there. Suddenly, New Orleans was on my bucket list, and when I started my road trip in February of 2021, that was my first stop. I thought, what better place to kick off a journey of self discovery? I was right, and this first visit, far overdue, is when I fell madly in love with New Orleans.

Home Sweet Home

My airbnb was a distance away from the French Quarter, but it was drivable and uberable and that was all I needed. It was a family community with friendly neighbors and a chicken stand that had a line around the block every day. I was clearly a stranger, so I never tried that chicken stand, but it is a deep regret (we can pretty much chalk that fully up to my social awkwardness).

The airbnb was a little cottage house down a side alley (not nefarious) and the landlord was in the house right out front. It was such a great experience and a cute, comfortable home for the few weeks I resided there.

When I arrived, I made appointments for site visits with some iconic hotels and aimed to wander the city for a while. This ended up being quite a family affair, as my mom drove down with me for a few days and my sister came to visit during the trip.

New Orleans with the Family

We did it all and missed it all at the same time. There's so many things that were on our list that we didn't do and I can't wait to go back to check those off my list (swamp tour being at the top!). Still, we did some amazing things while in New Orleans. Wandered through the French Quarter and saw artists on the street selling their beautiful, vibrant work. Bought poetry from a former professor and published author for $5 on the sidewalk. Walked by the St. Louis Cathedral which was such a beautiful architectural wonder, as is all of New Orleans. In fact, exploring the homes of New Orleans was one of my favorite parts of the trip- they even had a Parade of Houses decorated for Mardi Gras!

At one point my sister and I sat at a windowside table eating char-grilled oysters and listening to saxaphone music drifting in and I felt like I was living in a French movie. My mom and I took a ghost tour and heard about the gruesome and colorful history that happened on the streets and in the homes of New Orleans. We did this so early on in the trip that I felt like a seasoned New Orleans traveler throughout the visit, because this history is such a huge part of the culture and you'll hear it mentioned and discussed often during your stay.

We visited a graveyard and saw the haunting beauty of the above-ground tombs that house New Orleans deceased. I danced the night away to an epic New Orleans horn band. My sister and I went to the Vampire Cafe not knowing what to expect, and finding a culinary journey with an excellent menu and a funky theme- in fact, all of New Orleans is a culinary wonder.

Ode to the Food of New Orleans

The food in New Orleans is beyond comparison. Usually, you visit a city and you have a decent meal here and there, and you make a note to tell everyone about this one meal you had because it's just the BEST in the city- but, in New Orleans, you just can't go wrong- you can only go from right to righter to best (and best is a tier). I had melt-in-your-mouth filet with bernaise sauce at Arnauds. Beignets of pure sugary joy at Cafe du Monde. The most savory muffuletta at a deli which I cannot remember the name of (it's one of two and I simply can't run the risk of stating the wrong one). The blackened alligator at Cafe Pontalba was delicious, and the iconic Camellia Grill will keep you waiting, but once you are seated you'll realize it is a must-stop- you'll feel like you've been transported back in time.. The pecan crispy waffles are one of a kind, and they give you butter that you can pour on your waffles- it's pretty much breakfast in heaven.

People of New Orleans

Like any place, one of the main things that makes New Orleans special is the people. I was blown away by how chatty and interesting and friendly everyone was. It's a city of transplants in a lot of ways, and yes, those cities tend to be more outgoing, but there was just such a joy in their life. From the aforementioned poet sitting on the sidewalk just enjoying selling his poetry, to the servers who love Mardi Gras and were disappointed that it wasn't larger because of Covid (when was the last time you went into a city where the staff is excited about town-wide events??) to the friendly bartenders at Galatoire's who got me through a difficult Valentine's Day (along with my mom). The people of New Orleans remind me of my favorite Oscar Wilde quote..."“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." In a city often mistakenly talked about in terms of crime or debauchery, I have to say I didn't come across one person whose company I didn't enjoy in New Orleans.

My Love for New Orleans, Summarized

When people ask me why I love New Orleans, I have one answer every single time. This city is alive. I remember talking to a man on the street about living there, and he said it's beautiful. There's nowhere in the world I could do this other than New Orleans. But, there's a lot of crime. I instantly replied "I think that's the price you pay for being surrounded by so much life". And it is.

Every inch of New Orleans hums with life. Even the dead live in every building, down every street, on every balcony and in every story. Each musical note sings through the city like lifeblood and the air shimmers with creative energy and excitement. There will come a moment when you will stand in the street and realize that everything around you is in excess, every individual thing perhaps too much, but when it's all blended together it creates a harmonious symphony of just enough and you wonder whether you've ever lived before that moment. A sizzling serenity will fill you with inspiration and hope and clarity and you will fall in love with the possibility of YOU through New Orleans.

New Orleans.