How a Week in New Orleans Changed Everything
Today on the Life in Another World Podcast, I sat down with my roommate, Claire Hulstrom to discuss the ups and downs of her recent trip to New Orleans, and how everything about it has changed her perspective on life.
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A trip doesn’t need to last a year to change your life. Sometimes, a quick week can alter everything about who you are now, versus who you were before the trip. Each trip comes with trials, tribulations, ups, downs, and everything in between. It then becomes how we face those fears and appreciate our experiences that help us grow.
Planning the Getaway
Even short trips take preparation, and even they aren’t safe from the setbacks that can occur.
It’s easy to feel like every time you get ahead, you fall another step behind. Before long, a constant cycle of roadblocks threatens your way with attempts to impede your trip.
Claire spent a year planning her journey to New Orleans, only to have money persistently pose an issue. As most of us can relate, every time she paid off one bill, another one materialized.
If money is your primary issue, remember this:
It always works itself out.
Always.
Where there is a will, there is a way, and when you travel, that way usually unravels on its own.
Finding Free Activities
With Christmas, birthdays, and the general holiday season surrounding Claire’s trip to New Orleans, her bank account never reflected the amount of money she knew she needed. On departure day, she had $130 to last her until the paycheck she’d receive while in New Orleans.
Determined to take a negative and transform it to a positive, Claire did the next best thing:
Free activities.
From walking tours, sightseeing, checking out museums, or merely window shopping, there’s always something free to do. Ever heard the phrase, “The best things in life are free?” You don’t need to pay for every memory.
Experiencing New Orleans
Even outside of the Christmas season, New Orleans is always decorated to the nines.
A city rooted in culture that breathes a different energy than most, New Orleans grabs hold of you whether you want it to or not. Its history breathes through the cracks and crevices and seeps into your pores the moment you enter its borders.
If you’re someone who’s into the supernatural, New Orleans needs to shoot to the top of your “visit” list. Have a walk by Madame Delphine LaLaurie’s house, and perhaps even snap a picture of a ghost or two. While you’re at it, take a visit to the grave of the Voodoo Queen herself, Marie Laveau.
Free Things to Do in New Orleans
When all else fails, walk. Exploring things on foot is the easiest way to study your surroundings and look for the things you can do without spending any cash.
If you’re a history buff, the French Quarter Visitor’s Center is sure to tickle your fancies. In this museum, you can check out all of the histories from the Creoles to the Cajuns and everything in between that’s helped shape New Orleans throughout the eras.
Are you a fan of vampires? If you’re interested in seeing props from most of the vampire movies inside of the United States’ only vampire shop, don’t pass up an opportunity to visit Boutique du Vampyre. Everything in the shop is handmade, and backpacking off the supernatural theme in New Orleans makes this shop a must-visit.
Not So Free Things to Do in New Orleans
Post Katrina, tourism in New Orleans is at an all-time high.
If the supernatural element of New Orleans intrigues you, look into walking tours that guide you through old sets from horror films while discussing the supernatural references in the city.
Want something more in depth? Consider checking out Ghost City Tours. Options range from experiencing the ghosts of New Orleans, hearing the details of the horrific things that stain its history, or even joining in on a ghost hunt for yourself.
For an opportunity to veer off the usual path other New Orleans ghost tours wander, check out the Killers & Thrillers tour. The only tour that is adults only, you’ll learn about the real horrors of New Orleans’ history in excruciating detail. You’ll have the opportunity to see more than the pedestrian sections of the quarter as you delve deeper into its darker parts.
Or, seriously, go on a for real ghost hunt.
Can’t get enough haunts? If you’re brave enough, sign up for one of the cemetery tours, if you dare.
Outside of the supernatural elements in New Orleans, a lot of people also choose to see the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Sometimes, we need a reminder as to what natural disasters can do, and why we should never take our surroundings for granted. You can look into walking tours to accomplish yourself, or sign up for the guided tour for a detailed history of America’s worst natural disaster.
Where to Stay in New Orleans
In general, throughout America, hostels can be hard to track down. That, however, is not the case in New Orleans.
For a hostel located on the famous Magazine Street, check out the Atlas House. In the earlier days before Katrina, the area this hostel is located in wasn’t necessarily safe. After the devastation that swept through the city, it has been transformed into a prime location.
If you’re interested in a hostel that’s a little more posh, check out Hostel Auberge. Located in The Lower Garden District directly between Uptown and Downtown New Orleans, this is a prime location for scouting out all of New Orleans’ highlights.
Mixing in the Flavor
As an executive chef, one of Claire’s main reasons for her visit to New Orleans was the food.
And, as with most cities in the Southern States, the gumbo is something she refused to miss out on.
Although you can find a multitude of different foods throughout the streets of New Orleans, the Creole and Cajun inspiration is everywhere you look. Deeply rooted in French culture, particularly from the Cajuns after their migration from French Canada, the food is packed with flavor.
You’ll find lots of cayenne pepper, and mixed with the soul food Louisiana is known for, your taste buds won’t even know what hit them. New Orleans is the culinary mecca for things unexplored. From the deep nuttiness of the roux used in gumbo, to the brininess of the oysters, shucked while you watch. The earthiness of Turtle soup, and the delicate way the Beignet pairs with chicory coffee. This city will leave you gob-smacked, not quite knowing what just hit you, but eagerly anticipating more.
Taking the Leap
Like most people ready to embark on a trip, Claire was shrouded in fear. All she wanted was a nice vacation during the Christmas season, and all she seemed to find along the way were roadblocks.
Those roadblocks, however, didn’t stand as hindrances for long, and they each left a lesson that strengthened her.
At the end of it all, here’s the skinny:
Just jump.
If all of your decisions are fear-based, you’ll never progress in life. When you’re standing on that metaphorical ledge and looking out into the darkness, the longer you wait to leap into it, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of it.
Just jump.
Along the way, other people will attempt to instill fears in you, and it’s up to you to decide what you’re capable of doing.
It is then up to you do it.
Just jump.
Making friends with strangers will be a breeze, and even after a few days, you may find people who stick by your side forever. When you meet people on the road, it’s like connecting with someone from a past life. In a place like New Orleans where its spiritual history stands at an apex, these opportunities will open your eyes and help you realize you’re never truly alone.
Traveling can get you out of a funk you don’t even know you’re in. It can change your life in ways you never thought possible. More so, it can shape you into the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Just jump.
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How to Travel as a Couple
Do you have a significant other you’re itching to see the world with? Before you rush into the trip, it’s important to make sure you’re prepared for the journey together. Today on the Life in Another World Podcast, I sat down with Joe Buckley and Meg Teagle, a Welsh couple I met on the road in New Zealand to discuss what it’s really like to travel with your loved one.[powerpress]
Making the Initial Decision
Like any traveling situation, an initial decision needs to ignite the plan.
When you’re traveling solo, the only person who needs to decide on anything is you. When you add another person, especially when they’re a significant other, things can get a little more complicated.
Before you even consider any potential travel plans, pay attention to how you get along now. Do you fight a lot? Small bickers or massive blowouts? Are there any doubts that hold you back? If there are, this might not be the right decision for you.
Although these are hard questions to face, don’t let them disrupt the trip. Bickering is natural and healthy, but don’t be at each other’s throats the whole time. If the arguments are frequent and larger than a tiff, it may be a sign.
Between the two of you, find the balance of things you’re good and bad at (organizing, directions, etc.) Working together will get you much further than working against each other.
Conversely, don’t be scared to take this trip on your own, especially if your partner isn’t ready to go with you. You can still travel by yourself and do a long distance relationship if it comes to it. Though less desirable, it is still attainable.
At that, if all else fails, even if you break up along the way, you’re still halfway across the world and interacting with new people every day. You’ll never be alone, and you’ll always have plenty of distractions.
The Importance of Communication
After you’ve made the initial decision to go, put communication at the top of your priorities. All relationships depend on communication, but it’s never more vital than when you’re on a world tour together.
Whether you have deep conversations or not, the experiences you accrue together will undoubtedly strengthen your relationship. When your only alone time is in the bathroom, you learn a lot about the other person — and it may not always be pleasant.
With an awareness that there’s always a possibility that things might not work out, discuss what you’re going to do if things don’t pan out the way you’ve planned. Joe and Megan shared a bank account and needed to be real with themselves about what they would do with that if they separated. Stay mature — even if you break up, you don’t want to leave your former partner stranded.
Hopefully.
Apart from that, check in with each other. Traveling is stressful, and anxiety is a constant given. Make sure you’re paying attention to each other’s mental stability to help each other stay strong and focused.
Be Aware of What You’re Getting Yourselves Into
You will be with your loved one 24 hours a day. Unlike a typical living situation, space is harder to come by when you do a trip like this. If you share a house or an apartment and each have jobs, you can always work around each other and get the space you need when you want it.
Not so when you travel.
Don’t let that stress you out — you’ve already decided you wanted to spend this much time with that person, right? Remember that always.
Also, take advantage of the fact that you will always have a familiar face, no matter what. If you’re lost, and you turn around, there’s someone you know. As long as you’re aware of how full-on it is between the two of you, you’ll be fine.
Just don’t forget to talk about things.
Take Advantage of Time Alone
If you travel solo, all you get is time alone with groups of people you don’t know. Although it’s the same idea when you’re a couple, don’t take opportunities to be alone together for granted!
Find mutual things you like to do, and you won’t have to worry so much about separating to do what you want. Be willing to go off on your own if you have to, but if it isn’t necessary, don’t push it.
Even couples, however, need space from each other. Don’t become too co-dependent just because your partner is familiar. No matter what, downtime by yourself with your own thoughts is vital for mental health.
When you’re jumping around in hostels, plan for the occasional double room. Staying in dorms with all of your friends is great fun, but it prevents you from having the necessary conversations needed to keep the relationship healthy.
Be aware of the extra cost of double rooms and plan accordingly. At the same time, if you meet people you love along the way, don’t be afraid to stay with them, either!
Finding a Social Balance
Although keeping your personal life private outside of the people you travel with is hard, it is still doable. It’s just up to you to find the right balance.
Oddly enough, it’s easier to make friends when you travel by yourself. Think about it. If you see someone standing alone, or two people canoodling all over each other, who’s less intimidating to approach? The people you interact with automatically see you as a couple, and they become more reserved because you’re already a unit.
Therefore, as the couple, you have to make the effort to either mingle with the singles or find double dates.
To make things easier on yourselves, “go out” together, then “separate” once you’re there.
Whatever you do, just do your best not to seclude yourself. At the end of the trip, making friends is the most important aspect of travel, so be open to that. You’re still a couple at the core, but don’t let that hinder you from having a social life.
The Post-Trip Depression
If your relationship has survived the trip, congratulations!
You’re about to go through a depression.
Don’t worry, though; it’s the same depression most people get when their vacation wraps. Whether by yourself or as a couple, the travel bug possesses you once you get a taste.
Don’t fight the sadness that comes to you. Transitioning back to “reality” is just as much of an adjustment as acclimatizing to all of the foreign cultures you’re now thoroughly accustomed to in the first place.
When you leave and return alone, you feel like no one understands what you’ve been through. That, or it seems like no one wants to hear what you have to say.
Although you get that same response as a couple, the best part of traveling with someone else is they’ll always know exactly what happened. No matter what, in the end, you will always have someone who was with you every step of the way.
Whether you decide to travel alone or with your loved one, just prepare yourself for the journey. The more ready you are for the days that don’t go so well, the more you’ll appreciate that days that run flawlessly.
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