I woke up early Wednesday, August 3, 2011, and I was waiting anxiously to hop on that plane back to a place I call home, NOLA. This service trip almost did not happen for me this year, and I was so bummed when I thought I would miss it. Thankfully, through the grace of Southwest Airlines and my lovely Momma Nina, I was able to board that plane and meet Group 2 in NOLA.
As the plane was descending, I got butterflies in my stomach. I MADE IT!!!! I practically ran off the plane and to the airport shuttle to get to Bienville House. I arrived "home" and Mr. Lucious smiled his gentle smile and said, "I remember you, welcome back!" I smiled back and greeted him with similar words of kindness. Ms. Cynthia was waiting behind the front desk. "Hello Ms. Erica. Ms. Karen and the group have been waiting for you. They should be back soon." She handed me my key, and I was on my way to drop off my stuff and explore the city while I waited for the gang to return from working in the schools.
I went to the Gumbo Shop for their famous seafood gumbo and catfish po'boy sandwich. I wandered through the spectacular cathedral. I roamed through the Katrina and Mardi Gras exhibit, and went to the Cabildo Louisiana State Museum. I sucked in as much information as possible and was humbled by the history the city has to offer. Everyone I encountered was happy and stressfree. I was quickly remembering why I love NOLA. It is Southern Hospitality at it's best. I walked around a bit more until I got a text from Ms. Angela that everyone was finally heading back "home". I walked my way over and was welcomed with hugs and kisses. I heard all about the fantastic work they had been doing at Harriet Tubman Elementary and was inspired to get to work the next morning.
We headed to Harriet Tubman early on Thursday to get as much done as possible. We wanted to make sure we could get this room with thousands of books organized and all books categorized according to their Fountas and Pinnell reading levels. I was put to work eye-balling the books that we could not find a reading level for, and analyzing the reading difficulty level of too many books to count. I was brought back to my childhood with some great classic books, and also got a chance to read/skim through some books I had never seen before. It made me realized that what we were doing at Harriet Tubman was so very important, and I could not wait for students to have access to all the great book options available. We had one more day buried in books and made amazing progress. I just wish I had been their earlier in the week to get the full experience of accomplishment.
This trip is something we plan for and wait for in anticipation every year, and I am so very humbled by the work we do. I am forever thankful to all that made it possible for me. The rest of the time in NOLA was spent eating yummy food (Cafe du Monde, Deanie's, Cafe Reconcile, and Commander's Palace) and being with old and new friends. Our Friday ended with a surprise visit from my boyfriend who drove 15 hours to propose to me in front of Jackson Square; an EPIC moment. It was an amazing trip; alright. So, as my NOLA family was returning to Chicago, I spent one more day with my fiance and got a chance to listen to some great music at the Sachmo Festival. NOLA 2011 is definitely one I will always remember, and hold dear to my heart. I will see everyone soon, and I cannot wait for next year.
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