24 Hours in New Orleans: Exploring Uniqueness

This is a new and improved write-up about my visit to New Orleans, Louisiana.

As far as I’ve seen along my travels throughout North America, no two cities are the same. This is something I had come to accept as truth even before I started traveling. However, every once in a while, I experience a city that really stands out; it seems like some places are incredibly rich in character without even trying.

While visiting, I realized that New Orleans is one of those places.

For my first and only full day in the city, I noticed that even though NOLA has many of the same components as every other city in the U.S., the way it goes about implementing those elements is wildly unique.

My family and I set out for the city on one fine Tuesday morning. We had no idea what to expect, nor did we have many expectations to start with. We spent our single day of exploration simply walking around, not necessarily having a lone destination in mind. Not only does this manner of roaming allow for pleasant (or possibly unpleasant) surprises along the way, it also offers a means of less stress; there’s no need to be anywhere in a hurry.

As I see it, if I want to understand the reality of a city, or any location for that matter, I should pay more attention to the time in-between the major tourist attractions. The less tourists, the better the chances of finding something remarkable.

But of course, I had to experience the visitor magnets as well.

We approached Jackson Square, a park area that offers many different options for entertainment. At the head of the square, a stoic cathedral — bright white with grey steeples — dominates the sky. Both the inside and outside of the cathedral is designed with utmost care for detail. There’s a stark contrast between the plainly colored exterior and vividly colorful interior, which creates an interesting dynamic in mood. If I exclusively kept to the outside, I would only see the strict and controlled expression. When I went inside, however, I saw an entirely new side to the church.

As I exited through the massive wood doors, I experienced another example of contrast. Right outside this place of deep reverence, a street performer was performing a daring act: juggling machetes...while on a unicycle...which happened to be approximately twelve-feet tall. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. The absurdity of this performance happening right outside a cathedral was just too good.

As we carefully made our way around the mildly-crazy man with the pointy weapons, I heard the piercing sound of a saxophone. Both inside and outside of the Square there was an abundance of musical performers, all playing different music. Somehow they all seemed to blend together into a beautiful conglomerate of melodies. I could have stood there forever. From saxophones to cellos, an entire world of music was introduced to me in the most authentic way possible. I strongly believe in supporting people who are chasing after their dreams, and this location was full of them. I ended up unintentionally emptying my wallet. On every corner was someone with a smiling face taking joy in simply performing for strangers, and I felt responsible for helping them out.

Artistic expression is an important ingredient in the reputation of New Orleans. Besides the music, there are also individuals who set up displays of their artwork, looking for an eager buyer. In many cases those artists are also in the middle of creating a new piece. People can peek over their shoulder to catch a glimpse of the artist’s creative process, adding to the experience.

Another ingredient that makes up the very unique vibe of New Orleans is the architecture. Looking around at the buildings, in awe of how well they complimented each other and everything around them, I felt transported to a different time.

There was a Walgreens on one corner in the middle of the city, and it was one of my favorite buildings. You can probably find this store in every major city in the U.S., but when in the middle of NOLA, it perfectly fit in with the vibe of the city. From the color of the outside walls, to the random enclosed balcony directly above the sign, it's almost like the Walgreens put on a disguise to blend right in. While it may seem fairly plain and simple, I thought it perfectly encompassed what New Orleans is all about.

After the strenuous activity of walking (for me at least), I was ready for some food. We went to a place called Café Du Monde, which serves one of the staple foods in NOLA: beignets. If you've never had a beignet, it's basically fluffy deliciousness. They're a deep-fried pastry that you pour a whole lot of powdered sugar on. My brother and I are vegetarians, so we were glad to be able to partake in at least one of the traditional N’awlins foods.

This is another place to get some beignets, but we found Café Du Monde to be better

With a full stomach, I started to reflect on what I love about the city. One thing that was hard for me to miss about New Orleans was the contentment present on many of the faces around me. Both travelers and natives were smiling, happy to be where they were right at that moment.

And it was contagious.

I found myself slowly beginning to appreciate the little things, not for any reason other than appreciation itself.

I often find myself much more partial to touring nature, as cities have an excellent chance of triggering some anxiety in me. But in this particular instance, that worry was dissolving before my very eyes.

What’s there to worry about? What good does worrying do anyway?

These are questions that I am constantly asking myself in the middle of unnecessary anxiety, but it’s never easy to simply let go. Yet here I was, letting go. Living in the present moment.

I see this as a testament to the character of New Orleans as a whole. Although no city is perfect, New Orleans is pretty dang close.

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