Well I have returned from my trip to New Orleans. The seminar I went to was amazing and I learned so much. I also gained some great ideas to improve our program for vets on the psych unit. It was very exciting and I was able to meet some absolutely amazing people from other VAs. During the day I attended the classes, and in the evening I was able to check out all the tourist attractions! The people in New Orleans are very gracious and charismatic. There is music everywhere you turn, it was also Jazz Festival weekend so there were extra tourists and extra bands around. Bourbon Street is always exciting and lively. The food is absolutely amazing, fresh, original, and delicious... and I miss it! New Orleans still suffers from the devastation of Katrina 5 years ago, they are losing their coast line faster than the Amazon is losing rain forest! Since Katrina they have lost 10 miles of coast between New Orleans and the Gulf. The landscaping is exquisite and picturesque, all the flowers were in bloom. The temperatures were in the low 80's and the humidity was high! On the last day there I was able to work on a Habitat for Humanity house in one of the neighborhoods that was hit pretty hard from Katrina. The devastation and lack of repair was shocking. There is maybe only one in four houses that is habitable, all the rest have been deserted and look as if Katrina had hit a week ago. The water level in this particular neighborhood was at about 8 1/2 feet, which is right below the roof line for many of the homes. Many families relocated due to Katrina and have not come back, many of the houses were basically abandoned when insurance didn't pay out and residents could not afford all the repairs needed to make a house habitable. Most of the houses still had the spray painted signs outside that rescue workers had searched the house, checked for bodies, and checked to ensure the gas lines were off. It would be very tough to wake up to that sight every morning as a remaining neighbor. The trip was amazing and I feel so blessed to have what I do and be able to help out down there, even for a day. New Orleans is an incredible city with so much culture, history, and heritage... I hope to go back soon and have promised Jacqui a trip to their impressive zoo and aquarium within the next few years... Love you guys and miss you all. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures!
