Although I can't stand Atlantic City, for some reason I was excited to go New Orleans for the first time on a business trip this week. I was kind of disappointed to find that it was just one big cheesy spring break spot. I'm sure there's local culture somewhere, but I definitely didn't see it. Maybe it was because I stayed right in the French Quarter and didn't know where to go to find the good jazz clubs and the famous New Orleans cuisine - although I did enjoy a delicious breakfast of chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. I also don't recommend going in July, the humidity was like nothing I had ever experienced. I broke into a sweat upon exiting my hotel room, and walking around was brutal. I took three showers in one morning so I wouldn't be a complete disaster when arriving at the venue I was checking out for our upcoming work event. I did stumble upon one really beautiful art gallery that featured local artists, mostly focused on jazz paintings and colorful fish murals. They were displayed in an outdoor garden which was really lovely to browse in.
Through the disappointing experience of seeing this new place I had always been curious about, I wondered if living in New York just made me completely immune to being surprised and impressed by anything anymore. Even the beautiful cathedral in Jackson Square, slightly removed from the cheesiness of Bourbon Street, was only okay to me - it looked like a less impressive version of the national cathedral in D.C. I didn't even see the damn oil spill. At least that would've made me feel relevant and connected to something that's going on in the world right now. Hopefully when I return next month for the actual work event, I get to explore more of this city and find out what the big deal is...
