Outer Journey
“Final stop…New Orleans!!” said the train conductor as we ended our seventeen-hour train ride. Now to find our way to the hotel and get checked in our room. The train station was newer then I expected. When I think of New Orleans, I think of an old historical city with lots of character and flair. Everyone seems to be very new at traveling and we are all trying to find our way. We work together and found a SUV to hold six of us and our luggage. Mis Ruthie was our drive. She was a black old lady that holds her own. She was listening to the Catholic radio station very loudly, but when the black man ahead of her got impatient with her as she was carefully trying to pull out, well let’s just say she “let him have it.” She cussed at him and told him how it was going to be today. When I asked Miss Ruthie how long she had been driving she said, “For too long.” Our trip to the hotel and getting checked in went as I expected. I have traveled some in my life, but it has been a long time. But this trip went as I remember other trips from my past experiences. Big cities are always amazing to me because of the sounds, the lights, and of course people watching. As soon as the sliding doors opened for us to walk out to the taxi service curve, I heard the horns honky, vehicles swishing down streets, and tracks rustling quickly down tracks lining the city. I could hear people talking and hustling to their destinations. I could smell population from many people in one place and vehicle exhausts and lots of garbage accumulating from the day. I see people and cars everywhere and lights and buildings galore. My arms feel heavy because they are weighted down with my luggage and water bottles that I over packed and by now I wish I would have decided against. My mouth tastes of dry mouth from lack of water and the need for food to refuel my body. It is time to shower and head to dinner, but not before opening one of those bottles of water to hydrate. We headed to the Original Pierre Maspero’s which was very good, but the space was smaller than I expected. Nevertheless, I loved the environment and the food was delicious. Our table ordered different seafood dishes, and we each tried each other’s dishes. It was fun to see some ladies at my table trying things for the first time. We had fried green tomatoes with a special sauce with crawfish on top for an appetizer. The sauce was creamy and tangy being out the salty flavors of the tender crawfish just perfectly. I was impressed. It was the most tender crawfish I have ever experienced. Then I was served three crab cakes with a side of gumbo and a diet coke to wake me up a bit. The crab cakes were just delightful. They were fried to perfection. They were moist in the middle but fully cooked laying on a bed of greens with mushrooms and a special Louisiana sauce that added a special Louisiana flare. They were served with two side sauces that were the consistency of mayonnaise. They each had a unique flavor which I still can’t figure out how to describe. I was not a fan of either one of these. Although I did flavor one of them a little only when I ate it with the crab cake dipped with the special sauce drizzled over my dish. This was definitely flavors I have not experienced or even known about because I couldn’t identify them. I look forward to learning about these and many more Louisiana spices at the cuisine tour.
Inner Journey
I love to travel but this was the first luxury to go after I separated from my husband ten years ago. In fact, during this separation, I was forced to travel a lot for the next four years, but these trips were not enjoyable but very painful and undesirable. I was alone, tired, emotionally exhausted, frustrated, and confused. Traveling became a necessity and a finical burden, which lead to resentment. Since the finalization of my divorce five years ago, I find myself maybe wanting to travel again. But, traveling alone doesn’t feel safe. I take my younger two kids who still live at home on long weekend trips because this is finically and logistically manageable for our family. So, deciding to take this travel course was a step toward my new normal. Just after my first day here, I can tell this is a trip of healing for me. Being in the city and experiencing it in this school setting has eliminated my resentments and bad memories and limited any obstacles I face traveling as a single woman. I forgot how much I loved experiencing new things. I love the adventure and stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s important to learn about people and cultures and different ways of living which teach me about myself and where I am going in this life. Traveling gives me hope. I can’t explain this, but I feel hope. I guess it’s because when we step out of our “bubble” of the world we learn we have options and we are not limited to only our hometown.
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