Prep work and Expectations

Inner Journey




The expectations I have for this trip are sort of mixed. I try to keep my expectations low so that I am pleasantly surprised and not disappointed. That being said, I have been wanting to go to NOLA for many years and experience the culinary world there. I am excited to have an adventure but leery of leaving my girls for 7 days straight, they are only 6 and 3 and it will be a lot of extra work put on my husband while I am gone. I am expecting the city to be dirty, run-down, but still charming and interesting like an old farmhouse can be. I think the trip will be tiresome and long. I am worried that being around a bunch of females is going to be super annoying to me. I am not a type A personality and really would much rather go with the flow of the days than schedule myself down to the minute. Being that this is a travel course, I understand that a schedule is needed, and it makes me cautiously optimistic about getting in as much culture as the day will allow. I am most excited about stuffing my face with creole style food and getting to hear real jazz in the city it was born. I am a sucker for a good martini and great live music. I am hoping to get some real-life experience to confirm my beliefs about NOLA. I have never traveled to Louisiana and I am extremely interested in seeing how different New Orleans is to other cities I have been to like Chicago, St. Louis, Boulder and Cincinnati.







Outer Journey




I was born a procrastinator and I'll die a procrastinator.....eventually! My preparations for the trip are sort of non-existent still. I have set up child care for the week I will be gone. I have gone through my closet in my head to get an idea of what outfits I will bring. I have asked my mother in law for her ear plugs and sleep mask that I am planning on using while traveling via the train. I still need to figure out where my suitcases are and if my clothes will all fit. I have checked the weather daily to see what type of forecast to expect. So far it seems like the weather there will mimic how the weather in Illinois has been thus far. As far as preparations for the class, I have also procrastinated pretty hard on. I have just now noticed that my blogs are due tomorrow so I am doing a mad dash to get them in tonight and hopefully find my suitcases tomorrow. I am planning on bringing just my laptop and charger for the class part of the trip. I grew up near Champaign, IL and I am looking forward to getting some dinner there before we depart from the train station. I will probably bring some snacks like chips, fruit/veggies, water and probably some sort of alcohol for the ride. I am also planning on buying some souvenirs and goodies to bring home to my girls so I will need a decent amount of room available in my suitcase.