Every several months there’s this restless sensation inside of me. Do you get that? That squirmy feeling where you feel like you’ll suffocate if you have to live another day in the same routine, weighed down by the lists and priorities and deep ruts? Every several months I have to move. Breathe. Do something unscripted. Sometimes I plan my spontaneity.
Over Valentine’s Day weekend I took a roadtrip with friends from Austin to New Orleans, one car, four people, three days, and a bag of food. I’d never been. My boyfriend told me about how much color there was, how incredible the food was (is) and I couldn’t wait to go. (I reminded him every few days by exactly how many days we had left til our trip.)

And it didn’t disappoint. It’s so easy to slip into another culture, sometimes. I find that part of what lures me to new cities, new countries is the opportunity to transmogrify – to transform my tastes, my lifestyle, my personal style, even, into something more culturally accurate to whatever culture I enter. It’s an opportunity to see a new side of issues, whether they are political, religious, cultural, etc. Take on a new skin. Breathe in. Breath out. New sights. Sounds. Smells. Deep accents and drawls. Different eyes. New fauna. New noises pulling at my ears, colors + shapes + textures burn into my memory. Flavors of Mufulatta and sweet Mint Juleps soak deep. Ferry bellows and throbbing drumbeats and late nights and long walks and plenty of city sunlight.

I loved this trip. And learned how to make mint julep with homemade syrup, too. *win*

Below is day 1 + 2 in New Orleans, and day 3 is in Vaucherie at Oak Alley Plantation.