What is This Site All About?

You could say I’m a New Orleans addict. When I take vacation time, all my co-workers know were I’m going. At family events everyone asks how many trips I’ve made since our last get together. When I go shopping I think to myself, “would these work in New Orleans”, or “I NEED these for New Orleans!” I troll message boards about New Orleans, inhale books about or set in New Orleans, have a movie collection devoted to New Orleans, my walls are covered in pictures of New Orleans, and it just gets worse from there. When I go out to eat, nothing tastes as good as the food I get in New Orleans, the architecture doesn’t look as good, and, well I think you get the point. The problem is, well, I don’t think there is a problem, and see no reason to change.

If I haven’t scared you off yet, you may wonder, “How did this obsession begin?”

When I was in elementary school, a new student moved to my small town. One Tuesday, her mom came to class, throwing beads, candy and other small toys. As you may have guessed, it was Fat Tuesday. The mom, Ms. B, had put together a slide show for us to educate us on the history of New Orleans. For an afternoon, Ms. B introduced us to the Crescent City. I was immersed in architecture, history, atmosphere, and the absolute coolness that schools in New Orleans close during Mardi Gras week. Afterwards, I could think of nothing else….. I had to get to New Orleans. Unfortunately, it took me fifteen years before I made my first trip.

Now, twenty-five years later, armed with the time and money that a decent job and no kids can give you, I make the pilgrimage to New Orleans four to six times a year. I truly believe that there is no other city in the world like New Orleans. The narrow balcony-lined streets of the French Quarter, the majestic architecture of the Garden District, the quirky shops lining Magazine street, the beauty of City Park, the wonderful museums, the sound of the street cars rattling down St. Charles, the music, the night life, did I mention the music, and of course, the food, create and amalgamation of pure and utter undeniable awesomeness. This is a city that once it has you, man, it’s got you for life. One of my husband and I’s good friends summed it up best. Upon learning of our millionth trip to New Orleans, he laughed and said, “You’ve got NOLA in the Soula.”

Sounds like a good title, don’t you think?