A few days ago, Professor Grigsby said, “I don’t think of you guys as inanimate stones. You are all working very hard”. Being in New Orleans was the experience of a lifetime. I can now successfully say that I am able to put in insulation, sheetrock, and put in tiled floors. One of my favorite parts of this trip thus far was working with the people in Americorps. Their hardwork and dedication to society really made me strive to have that same determination. In only a week at NOLA, I helped re-build three different homes around the city, ultimately putting a smile on the homeowner’s faces. I did not know I had the ability to do construction on houses, but it goes to show that you can do anything you sincerely set your mind to.

It is hard to comprehend the amount of new information I have obtained on this trip so far, but I specifically recall the disaster tour with Jim last week. Going to the different sites around the city to see where levees broke was truly fascinating. Furthermore, I was very intrigued by the countless amount of X’s on the houses, indicating that the house was searched post-Katrina. It really hit home to know that so many houses were searched for unpleasant purposes, and to see that many of the X’s are still present on the houses five years later.

Aside from the incredible nightlife on Bourbon Street, My biggest excitement has been my will to wake up every morning to embark on a new journey. Every day has been very different and quite informative, I only hope to recall as much information as I can to share it with as many people as possible upon my arrival home.