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.

After spending several days working in Dulac, I have noticed distinct differences between our work here and the recovery work we did in New Orleans.  Driving through Dulac for the first time, the biggest shock I experienced was how visible the damage from Hurricanes Gustauv and Ike are.  Traveling through the French Quarter in New Orleans, it is easy to forget that the disaster of Katrina ever occured because the city has made extensive efforts to rebuild the area.  However, in Dulac,  houses in the entire area have evidence of flood and wind damage and shrimper boats are scattered in people’s front lawns. 

The physical appearance of Dulac has been diffuicult for me to process because it has forced me to examine how priveledged I am.  For the past two days, my group has worked on replacing the walls in Mr. Bernard’s trailer.  Nine family members are packed into the Bernard’s modest four bedroom trailer.  Although the trailer did not suffer any damage from the two hurricanes this past fall, the Bernards do not have the financial means to repair the damage in their home.  Being exposed to that level of poverty in America has made me question how a country that is seemingly so powerful could neglect to assist people in need.  After working on Mr. Bernard’s trailer, I have an overwhelming feeling of guilt because I have been given oppertunities in my life that his children will never have.  Despite my heavy emotional response to our recovery work in Dulac, I have gained a lot from the experience.  The other members of my work group are Carl, Dave, Greg and Jamie; who are all much taller and physically stronger than I am.  Even though they welcomed me into their group, in the beginning I felt nervous that I would not be able to make an equal contribution to the recovery efforts.  However, I now feel  comfortable working with them and have confidence in my ability to successfully accomplish the task at hand.  I have never thought of myself as the type of person who could handle powertools, but this experience has pushed me outside my comfort zone and showed me how compentent I actually am.

My impression of the trip to New Orleans is that I will have to take the experience for what it is and keep an open mind.  I think that the biggest challenge I will face in New Orleans is to learn from every experience without making judgments about the people I meet.  Also, I feel it will be difficult to grapple with the enormity of the recovery work that still needs to be done in Louisiana.  During the trip, I may feel that my contribution to the recovery efforts is not significant enough because the issues that Louisiana faces are so far beyond my control.