I waited until I got back to school to post for a reason.  When I first got home and I was asked how NOLA was I found myself not knowing what to say.  How can I put into words everything that we experienced?  I let myself really sit down and think it all through over the rest of the break.  Now that we are back to school and I get asked that question I have a clear head and although I can never explain in words this experience I found a few that helps: eye opening, great experience. At first I was worried to say I had fun.  I thought that people would think I didn’t take what we were doing serious.  Now I realize that its ok to say I had fun and developed great friendships.  We will all have something special to relate to each other about and that is something we will never forget.

Now that I have had two weeks to filter my experiences and emotions I feel I can share my general thoughst about the trip. Overall, the experience was eye opening and inspiring. The pre-trip seminars were very helpful but nothing can do justice to actually being there. When talking to people who have not been to Southern Louisiana about the experience I sometimes feel incapable of conveying the magnitude of emotions I feel.

When asked,”How was your trip down south?” I often find myself entering a lengthy conversation. It’s hard to express both the good times our group had mixed with the overall depression (economic and mental) in Southern Louisiana. It’s such a conflicting topic because our group had a great time bonding and doing the work; however, it is really hard to witness the quality of life and the overall neglect Southern Louisianians have. The trip definitely gave me a whole new perspective on life. We, as Union students, are extremely lucky. I find it humbling to compare our  “losses” to the losses in Louisiana. A typical Union student would feel the world was ending if his/her computer crashed during exam week. A paper lossed or exam failed is the end of the world as many students know it. People living in Louisiana fear Hurricane season every year and pray they will not lose their home and community. Their losses put ours in perspective and open our eyes to the greater issues in the world.

After being in Louisiana, I feel guilty about the conflicts in my life; in the whole scheme of things I am very lucky. I do think the work we did in Louisiana was helpful and that the community appreciates what we did, I still believe that our experience was more beneficial. We, as privileged Union students, have gained a whole new outlook on life, improved our social skills (through interacting and observing), and learned a lot about Louisiana and what it means to help a community. This experience is one not to be forgotten and to be shared for my entire life.