My New Orleans Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone. I still feel as though summer just ended. On the other hand, I've been seeing Christmas decorations up on houses for a couple of weeks now. It seems to me that it would be weird to have friends or family over for Thanksgiving when you have Christmas lights and Santas all around. The YAV house is still appropriately decorated for fall with pumpkins and leaf garlands.

My parents came down from New Jersey to have Thanksgiving with me. For the first time, I was the hostess for a major holiday. I was pretty calm about it until I realized how unprepared I was to put on a nice dinner party for actual grown-ups. One aspect of the YAV experience is simple living. Part of that for us means that a lot of our dinner and cookware has come through free giveaways or donations. All of our cups are either plastic mardi gras cups or pint glasses from the Bulldog bar. We also did not have a tablecloth or real napkins. Most importantly, we did not have a roasting pan. Needless to stay I had to make a run to Target, and now have a much more adult kitchen and dining room.

Thanksgiving dinner is a big undertaking, even if it is just for four people. I ended up making turkey (which I brined first), apple cider gravy, andouille cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, Bunny's famous rolls, and a chocolate chip pecan pie. I learned a lot during the 4 days I spent cooking. Most importantly is that turkeys have 2 hidden trap doors, both of which contain a gross surprise. They also do not tell you this on the turkey. Thankfully my mom told me before I began cooking the bird.


One of the other great things about having parents in town (other than cooking tips) is that they take you out to all the touristy places and restaurants in the city. On Friday we went to the Laura Plantation and Oak Alley. Both are on the west bank of the river about an hour west of the city. The Laura Plantation was a brightly colored, quirky looking Creole plantation and Oak Alley was a very majestic and grand southern plantation. They are both still working sugar cane plantations and you could see them burning the fields they had already harvested.






On Saturday, we went to LaPlace to do a swamp tour. My parents hotel set up the tour and a van came around and picked us up along with a couple of other groups of tourists. Our van driver was named Moses and had a voice that sounded exactly like what you imagine a man named Moses to sound like.

On the tour we saw turtles, herons, egrets, raccoons, alligators, and something called a swamp turkey. The tour company clearly trained some of the animals to hang around the area by giving them food. They kept tossing marshmallows to the raccoons and apparently give chicken and fish to the gators. The two biggest gators we saw were about 6 ft long and just sitting in the sun on the bank.

 

Saturday night we went to dinner at Galatoire's. It's right on Bourbon street in the middle of all the chaos. We picked a particularly crazy day to go to Bourbon because there way the Bayou Classic was at the Superdome that night, and the crowds were crazy! Dinner was a lot of shrimp and sauce, but it was fun and fancy. After dinner we went to a bar called dba on Frenchman Street to see John Boutté play. My dad had been talking about Boutté for months and it was lucky that we were able to see him while my parents were here. When Boutté was done, we moved over to the Speakeasy bar down the block. I really like this bar because all of their cocktails are from the 1920's and seem very sophisticated. They also have a live swing trio and two professional dancers called the NOLA Jitterbugs who do really great amazing dances. I always get mesmerized watching them.

Sunday morning I took my parents to First Presbyterian Church, where I've been worshipping most Sundays. After church, I had to make sure my parents got some authentic New Orleans po'boys before they left, so I took them to Parkway Bakery. It's the same place where the Obamas went when they were here. They are also filming an episode of Treme there this week. The po'boys and chili fries were amazing, like usual. We then went to City Park, Audubon Park, and Project Homecoming. For dinner - not that any of us were hungry yet from lunch - we went to Squeal BBQ and watched the Saints lose. The weekend ended with me waving goodbye to my parents as they went back to their hotel on the Streetcar.

I know this is a lengthy blog post that is really just a summary, but it was a really great week for me. I loved having my parents in town. I really enjoyed cooking Thanksgiving. Not having work for a few days was really relaxing. Thanks for sticking with me and reading this whole post. 

Hills and Leaves

It's only been four days since I got back from my retreat, but it already feels like Tennessee was weeks ago. The retreat was really wonderful and came at the perfect time. I think all of us needed to get out of the city and have some intentional down time. I don't know why, but I think it's good for the soul to see mountains (or even just hills) and fall leaves. If it weren't for the fall decorations in the store, you wouldn't know it was fall in New Orleans. Up until last week it was still in the 80's. Also, Palmetto trees do not change colors and lose their leaves.

Eastern Tennessee however, provided exactly the right type of fall. We stayed at our site coordinator's parents' house, which was beautiful and overlooked the mountains (the photo is the view from their house). Friday was really restful, which we all needed. I especially appreciated it because I was still getting over the flu. We got to sleep late and then in the afternoon did a bible study and personal reflections. We read the story of Elijah going into the wilderness and the parable of slaves receiving and investing (or not) their talents.



Friday night, we were free to go out in Chattanooga. Chad knew the city the best as served as our fearless leader. After exploring the riverfront, glass-bottom bridge, and art museum grounds, we went to a fun pub called the Honest Pint. I'm pretty sure it was one of the few times all of us had been out on the weekend together. We also met up with Nate's roommate from college and and old friend of Chad's. I always enjoy meeting my friends' friends from other parts of life. They usually help explain those missing bits. They are also a great source for embarrassing stories.


Saturday was my favorite part of the whole retreat though. All of the Nashville and Atlanta YAV's came and met up with us. We all then when to Chilhowee Mountain for the day. It was so enjoyable to see everyone from orientation again. We had a lot of fun catching up with each other and hearing about everyone's placements. It felt refreshing to have new people to interact with, but they were still part of our same community and were going through many of the same experiences as we were.

On the mountain, we went for a hike to a waterfall (I have actually never seen a waterfall of significant size before). We played cornhole, bocce ball, and badminton. We had a camp fire and made s'mores. We played music and sang songs. At sunset we had a short worship service at a lookout point. It was really just a perfect day.

Valentina the Terrible Blogger

Hey Y'all,

I will come right out and say it. I am not a good blogger because I always forget to post. I can't even say that I haven't had the time to. I have had time, but I always just procrastinate writing a post and end up doing something else instead. My goal for this blog was to post every 2 weeks. That has clearly not been happening. But today, I am at home with the flu, so it seemed like a good time to write. Anyway, here's a little update on my life so far.

I want to start by saying that I really love my job. I am working at a non-profit called Project Homecoming. It came out of the Presbyterian Church and PDA, but has been independent since last year. ProHo (as I like to call it) rebuilds homes damaged in Katrina. It also has begun building new homes in the same neighborhoods it has been working in for the past 7 years. I work as one of two Village Managers. ProHo has a Village where volunteers can stay for a week while they are working with us. I manage the Village and volunteers, as well as do all of the pre-trip communication and coordination.

What I most like about my job is the break down in my day. I work some weird hours (6 am - noon or 1 pm - 7 pm), but it allows me to have a lot of face time with volunteers and plenty of office time. All of our groups so far have been Presbyterian church groups, which my boss tells me is common for the fall. We usually get churches in the fall, college groups in the spring, and youth groups in the summer. So far we've had groups from Oregon, Michigan, Nebraska, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Georgia. One of the Georgia groups was from North Decatur Pres, which I went to a few times with PCM, so that was a fun connection to have. I really enjoy being able to talk to everyone and hear their stories of New Orleans. Many of them have been coming down to New Orleans every year since 2005, which is really amazing. A man from last week said that their church was in the city 6 weeks after Katrina, and he's been back down 9 times since. I find it so inspiring to see how dedicated these groups from around the country have been, especially when I realize how little Hurricane Katrina was still on my radar before moving here.

I don't know if that is really boring detail or what. Since I haven't really talked about my job yet, which is the main reason for me being here, I figured I should probably write something.

The YAV house is going on our first retreat to Tennessee on Thursday. I'm sure I will have something to post about after that. I promise that it won't be another month before I post something.

Nothing but blue skies...and awesome clouds

Since moving to New Orleans, I would estimate that I interrupt 85% of conversations in the car with the phrase "Oh my gosh, look at that cloud". I don't think I have ever seen as much sky as I see everyday here in NOLA. I guess this is partly because it's so flat here, there really aren't any hills. Also, we are pretty close to the Gulf of Mexico. There are two places I have found that offer the best views: the bridge on I-10 heading west (I think they call it the Highrise) and the levee in the River Bend area. But really anywhere in the city, you can see some honestly breathtaking skies. New Orleans is also the first place, where I can look up at the sky and tell (even just slightly) how the sky actually curves around the globe. I've never been able to look at the world and tell it is a sphere. It's really something that is hard to describe, so I won't really try. I'm including a bunch of photos of some tremendous clouds.

These two photos are from down on the levee during the sunset. It's a great spot to watch the sun go down because there's a big clearing right where the river turns North/South. 

This was right outside of the ProHo Village where I am working: 

Heading west: 

Crossing the Causeway:

The Causeway, is also a really cool bridge. It gets boring really quickly, but for the first few miles it's pretty amazing. Lake Pontchartrain is so huge that you can't see the opposite shore. It really just looks like you are driving over the ocean. What's really weird is that the average depth is only 12 - 14 ft. 

More clouds: 

I think I may have to start a separate blog just for all the clouds I want to share, but that most people probably don't care too much about seeing. 

A Week in Limbo

As most people know, Hurricane Isaac caused quite a stir in the gulf coast this past week. Fortunately, I did not have to go through the experience of evacuating New Orleans, like many others did. On Sunday, when it became clear that Isaac was going to be trouble, I was still up in Stony Point, NY for YAV orientation. Flying into NOLA on Monday night was obviously not going to be a good idea, and it was pushed back until Thursday and then Saturday.

Orientation week was hard. Orientation week was long. It was filled with an overwhelming amount of information and intense socialization. It wasn't a bad week, but it was exhausting. Part of what helped me get through it all was the anticipation of finally leaving for New Orleans. The only problem was that we didn't leave. Monday came and the three of us NOLA people waved good bye to all the other YAVs as they left orientation for their sites. We were left in limbo.

Rather than recount the week's events and non-events, I'd like to share what I learned from them:

1. Gas station shampoo is never a good investment.
Orientation week was the first time in my life that I didn't overpack. I had exactly what I needed for the week. Once week two began, I realized I didn't have shampoo. The closest store was the Quickie Mart at the gas station a mile away. The shampoo dried out my hair and cost $6. To make matters worse, housekeeping accidentally threw it away the very next day.

2. Two miles really isn't that far.
Stony Point has an idyllic setting, complete with fawns grazing on the lawns. It isn't that close to anything though. Over the course of the week, we got used to walking 2 miles to get places like a lighthouse and a Walgreens (to replace the gas station shampoo). At first the distance felt far, and a good example of how "tough" our Stony Point lives were. In reality, people around the world walk a lot further everyday. It also doesn't take that long to walk 2 miles. Especially when you don't have anything else to do.

3. I have been taking my independence for granted.
Until this week, I didn't realize how much I valued my ability to make my own decisions and to get myself places on my own. I did not get to choose whether or not to evacuate. I did not get to choose how long to stay at Stony Point, or even whether or not I stayed there. If I wanted to go somewhere, I had to ask someone else for a ride. Losing my feeling of independence and control was the most frustrating part of the week. It left me in tears more than once.

4. Family is a wonderfully restorative thing to have. (So is good food!)
Through my frustration, I was able to find a way to get into New York City all on my own. I walked from Stony Point 1.5 miles to the bus stop and caught the 2 hour bus to the Port Authority. The "thawity" is far less sketch than I pictured it to be. Once in the city, I met up with my dad for lunch. There is something wonderful and centering about spending time with people who really know you, and who you know will be there for you no matter what. This is especially true after two weeks of meeting new people and making quick friends. Getting to see my dad after almost 6 weeks, really made a difference for me and my mood this week. So did the prosciutto, melon, fancy cheese, grilled squid, and chocolate cake we had for lunch at Eataly.

5. YAVs are flexible (even when frustrated).
I think this is the biggest lesson I learned this week. All through orientation, we were told that YAVs are flexible. Life will not follow your plan and you can either adjust or be miserable. This fact of life became quickly evident as our plans kept getting changed. I was proud of how flexible and easygoing I was when our plans changed the first time. I was surprised at how disappointed and frustrated I was when they changed the second time. Being that frustrated, though normal, is a waste of time. Had I let it, it could have easily ruined some really nice moments. The extra time at Stony Point gave me the opportunity to see the Hudson's oldest lighthouse, to visit a Beacon church and soup kitchen, to have lunch with my dad, and to embrace the notion of just being instead of doing.
This week was one of the first times I can remember where I had nothing I had to do. I didn't have work, school, class, or homework. I didn't have any prep for NOLA and didn't have any of the papers for my fundraising. What I had was a hammock, a journal, and a lot of free time. When I gave myself a break from frustration, I could actually relax and breath the fresh Stony Point air.

Cafe du Monde

New Home Sweet Home

Hello, or Hey Y'all, if you're feeling southern, 

I have made it to New Orleans! I am sitting in my new apartment listening to the rain. I have been here for less than 48 hours and there have been at least 6 thunderstorms. Fortunately they don't last long and it feels cooler afterwards until it starts to steam up again 20 minutes later. Everyone told me New Orleans was hot and humid. It is beyond true.

These first few days are mostly filled with unpacking, getting to know the city, and beginning YAV orientation. I think it will take awhile to feel at home. I'm looking forward to coming back to New Orleans after New York next week. I think that'll help allow me to settle in more. It's weird to think about the fact that I'm here and this is now my life. It isn't a temporary thing. It isn't college anymore. This is life. 

Fortunately, life has been pretty sweet so far. I like my housemates a lot so far. Everyone seems relaxed and easy going. The house is really cute and in a cool, kind of hipster neighborhood. There are actually a lot of great restaurants and shops just a block away. Also, the green streetcar that goes down St. Charles is just around the corner. All in all, it seems like a nice place to live. I hope it stays that way. 

Everyone is a Saints fan in New Orleans. It is a nonnegotiable fact of New Orleans life. For example, last night we (me and the roomies) went out to dinner at a local BBQ place, and it happened to be at the same times the Saints were playing a preseason game. The bartender insisted we take free drinks when the Saints scored a touchdown. I have since been googling and wikipedia-ing the Saints to try to find out what I can. So far I know to say "Go Drew Brees!" and "Who Dat!" I also know that the Super Bowl will be here next year. The next step is to get myself actually interested in the sport. 

Last night also included one of the best dinners I have eaten. We didn't make it out to dinner until after 8 pm. After walking around the neighborhood we settled on Squeal BBQ because it had a pit going right out front and the smell was unbelievable. We got three types of tacos to share and they were actually incredible, so I feel like I have to share:

Pulled pork with horseradish slaw and chipotle sauce

Glazed duck with bacon, lettuce, and tomato, and wasabi mayo

Jerk chicken with pineapple salsa and pickled watermelon rind. 

I would share pictures, but we ate them all before we thought to get a camera out. For dessert, the chef made us a chocolate brownie with bacon and frozen honey cream on top. I've heard of bacon desserts before, but was never actually tempted to try one. I have been missing out. If you get the chance, or want to try it at home, I highly recommend it. 

I will write more soon and will definitely try to get some photos up. 

P.S. Another important NOLA lesson: Cockroaches are large and scary, but a little less so if you remember to call them Palmetto Bugs. 

An Introduction

Since graduation this past spring, I have had to come to terms with the fact that the world now considers me a grown-up (to use a term that only non-grown-ups use). I am no longer a student (in the formal sense), but I am also not a working adult. I always assumed that by this point in my life I would have a plan and a "real" job. Instead, I am beginning the first steps down a different path. For the next year, I will be volunteering in New Orleans with a program called Young Adult Volunteers (YAV for short). 

As a recent grad, I am constantly being asked "So, what are you doing now?" and "What jobs are out there for philosophy majors?" Most of the people asking have never heard of YAV. The easiest way I've found to explain it is as Presbyterian Americorps. YAV offers sites all around the country and the world. Along with the year of volunteering, YAV includes an intentional community. All the volunteers from one site live together as a community. Though I've been doing a lot of reading about the program, and I've talked to former YAVs, I am still not sure what I have lies ahead of me. I've never even been to New Orleans before! 

Starting Up Another Blog

I'm back in the blog-o-sphere and headed down south again!