Where do I begin? There is so much to say. The actual work we did on each home was great and we should all feel proud of our hard work. I think the people were very appreciative and even if some weren’t, we shouldn’t let it bother us.

While driving down the streets in my town, I can’t help to compare the two sights: Dulac and South Orange. These places are diametrically opposed in almost all aspects. This comparison makes me want to go back, I miss New Orleans and Dulac. I have not been able to clear my head of some of the disturbing images of New Orleans and Dulac but that is a good thing. The experience had an impact on me like no other. It is hard to explain the trip to family and friends at home because I feel that you really have to be there to understand it. Words alone can’t accurately describe it. 

Our debriefing session was very effective and helped identify some of the important meanings of the past two weeks. The two that stuck with me were: with great privilege comes great responsibility and our primary responsibility is to cultivate empathy. Even though we may not be able to physically do something to help the situation in New Orleans or Dulac we can start helping by keeping their stories alive by sharing them with others;  however. like I said above, it’s hard to do so. I guess we just have share our experience eagerly with others to the point where we make them aware and hopefully they will start looking into the problems both places face on their own.

As of right now, I have no idea how this trip is going to impact me in the future but I can assure you the experience will stick with me. The group was amazing. It was truly a pleasure to work with everyone and get to know new faces. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and we keep the people of New Orleans, Dulac and anywhere else that suffers from poverty and destruction in our thoughts during this time of love and joy. 

Yesterday we went to Grand Isle and it was a nice change of scenery for us. We worked hard getting rid of invasive plant species in the nature preserve. The nature preserve was not huge but it plays a vital role for migratory birds: it is their pit stop on their way to South America and back during their mating season. Now we can say we helped rebuild some of the wetlands and it is a rewarding experience.

Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico was tons of fun too! The water was so cold but it felt refreshing after working under the hot sun. At the beach we could see the oil rigs about 5 miles off the coast and it was an interesting sight. It makes you think about oil production in a new way, especially since Exxon’s main command center was across the road from where we went swimming.

Grand Isle is a gorgeous place that is the vacation home to many and business home to many northern fisherman. I would love to go back.

So far I have worked on two different homes in Dulac and both of them have had a strong impact on me but I think my experience at the second home, Bernard’s trailer, will turn out to be more influential. After two stinging blisters, multiple cuts on my hands from handling splintered wood, and sore knees from kneeling and plucking nails from the old woodwork I was able to take a break while waiting for a ride back to the community center. Like they say, no pain no gain. I was sitting with the group on Bernard’s steps when all of a sudden I see a little, white, and fluffy mound rise from inside the rusted and filthy rowboat in the driveway. I went over to the adorable puppy and played with him while he wagged his tail in utter delight.  It was Snowball, the family’s dog, however. I say that with reluctance because Snowball wasn’t really the family’s dog. They fed him and let him live outside their home. Snowball, most likely mixed-bred, had no collar and I am sure there was he was not registered by Bernard’s family, something we would make sure we do back at home. The concept of pets are different here and I think that is because of the different perspective on life, which I am slowly becoming familar with. I feel people down here simply accept their way of life and don’t struggle or strive to achieve a lavish style of life. As long as there is love in the family, a strong communtiy and a roof over their heads, the people of Dulac seem more than content. I think this “accepting” lifestyle is something that will stick with me and it will help me truly appreciate the things that matter most to me in life like family and culture, and make me more grateful. All of us on this trip may think we have such a wonderful life compared to the people down here but I think the people of Dulac feel they have a wonderful life too; we just have two very different standards of living. Snowball’s uplifting presence was a nice remedy to seeing all of the destruction from the hurricanes.

To be honest, it has been very hard to watch some of the documentaries on Katrina’s destruction, look at some of the pictures illustrating people’s suffering, and read about the inherent corruption and racism in the history of New Orleans. Each new piece of information disturbs me and I find myself very frustrated after learning about these problems. I feel that I am prepared to enter New Orleans because I have a better understanding of the culture and people, especially the troubles they endured, but in reality, I have no idea what the people of New Orleans and the wetlands have gone through. Therefore, it’s important to have no expectations of this trip. What that means, I am not positively sure but I believe it means to go down there and take it for how I perceive it and not what I am suppose to perceive it as based on the various sources I have accumulated knowledge from. Overall, I am looking forward to this trip; I have no idea what’s to come and that’s the exciting part about it.