Today is my one year anniversary of moving to New Orleans. Today, the weather is a cool 73 (still hot for my internal clock set to Philly time where it should be in the 60's), low humidity, and breezy. One year ago today, it seems the weather was identical. I remember driving in on I-10W through the East which visually is a very far cry from a normal New Orleans landscape. Palm trees lined the neutral ground in between the lanes, the highway is ground level and not elevated, the houses within sight seemed to look more similar to houses up north than styles normally associated with New Orleans. I remember feeling like the swamp was encroaching on the highway and it was actually feasible to see alligators within a few feet of the road. Driving through the city we rounded the Superdome and I could see the actual city. That's when I got excited. I was really here! I was really fulfilling my dream of moving to New Orleans! It was exciting and I felt content, anxious, lonely, overwhelmed, and eager right at the same time. I think I'll always remember rounding the Superdome driving into New Orleans.
And now, a year later, sometimes I feel content, frequently I feel anxious, often I feel lonely, in frenzied moments I feel overwhelmed, and I'm mostly eager to continue exploring this city I love. There was a time I felt content with every step, every moment of the day. Those moments are rare now. New Orleans is my city now, and with that comes more responsibility and more scheduling and less time to just sit and be here. I wish I had more of that. I need to get more of that.
Here are some recent images that basically sum up my life. Not very exciting.
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| Typical day at work at my favorite house we've ever worked on. So beautiful inside with original hardwood floors that survived the flood! |
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| Lake Pontchartrain from the locals hang out spot. |
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| A beautiful house. Houses in this state are so mesmerizing to me. |
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| A beautiful New Orleans wedding! |
