I spent last Labor Day Weekend in the one & only, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Anthony Bourdain once said,
"There is no place on earth even remotely like New Orleans. Don't even try to compare it to anywhere else."
May that incredible man rest in so much peace.
It's true. New Orleans is unlike anywhere I've ever been. The city is a melting pot of cultures, spirituality, ecosystems, music, food, fashion and architecture. The subtropical climate, mossy, mangled Live Oak trees, the Southern charm, voodoo, biscuits, beignets, swamps and cemeteries won my heart.
Important side note: if you have never spent time at a swamp, get to one ASAP. I have to say, I don't think there's a more peaceful ecosystem than a still, lush swamp. Just take a peek at this video (especially if you need background sound to fall asleep).
So yes, I could go on and on about the food and all the fun creepy stuff that I love so much, but here's what's really so rad about New Orleans: the authenticity.
I can't say every single person in the city is living their truth, but I can say, it seems to be a pretty good ratio. Whether it's the guy writing poetry on a typewriter in the middle of the cobblestone street or the guy playing the trumpet on the corner of Bourbon and Governor Nicholls, this city is full of characters – each one their very own person.
We saw churches and voodoo, jazz and electronica, French specialties and Haitian culture–and fusions of it all. We witnessed a run-in on the bayou between some hunters with deep Southern drawls as they confronted a young man in a crochet top practicing headstands in his kayak for rescuing the gators they were capturing. It ended with a firm handshake.
The beautiful thing about all of this disharmony? The harmony.
The cacophony of this place is just like jazz music: seemingly discordant, vibrantly distinctive, dynamically improvised, and perfectly soulful.
"That's the thing about jazz: it's free flowing, it comes from your soul." -Billy Crystal
You know what? So does your truth.
