I can honestly say that I am having a difficult time adjusting to my life at home after spending two weeks in Louisiana.  Prior to my return to Connecticut, I met up with a friend from Union who lives near Schenectady.  My friend had just returned from a trip to Ecuador, and so we spent the majority of our time together discussing our experiences away from home.  After my friend told me about amazing  sights he had seen and the parties he went to, I had a tough time articulating what I had gained from my own trip.  I felt that our experiences were so vastly different that he was unable to comprehend the transformation I have gone through.  I cannot yet put into words how I felt when Jim brought us to where the levees broke in the Lower Ninth Ward, when I first gazed at the empty lots that were once people’s homes.  I also do not know how to describe my emotional response I had when I discovered that the family we worked for in Dulac had been living in their damaged trailer since Hurricane Katrina hit.  I was glad I got to see my friend, but I could not help but feel disappointed about how superficial our conversation felt.  My hope is that once I gain a better idea about the ways in which my experiences in Louisiana have influenced me, I will be able to convey my feelings to others.Although I have not yet fully processed what it means to be privileged, I am beginning to understand the social responsibility I have to advocate for people who do not have their voices heard.  Despite the challenges that the trip has presented, I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to develop connection with such an amazing group of people and I will carry the memories with me for the rest of my life.