Daily archives "March 14, 2017"

Pre-trip thoughts… how to even gauge?

Quite honestly I feel like I do and do not know what to expect out of this trip. There are a few things that I’m ready to embrace, those of which are commonly heard of from previous trip goers:

• Be prepared to get REAL grimy
• Working long hours to the point where theres no room for exhaustion
• Having swamp memories with classmates
• Probably humid… maybe hot? Wet?? Other textures?
• Gloomy days most likely
• Jazz scene till the sunrise!
• Eating 50 pieces of fried chicken…. (We don’t even HAVE dat many!)

But in reality, I really don’t know what to expect. It’s strange. I’ve had this feeling before with two other trips, just simply because I do not know how to picture Louisiana or how it will all go down. The feeling was the same when I went to Japan, and also Portland. All I know, is that I hope it leaves a lasting impression for the next 10 years.

I have three goals for this trip, 1.) Learn to identify almost all the plants we encounter by heart, 2.) Eat my first ever po’boy (or gator) 3.) Sing an entire song from our NOLA playlist with everyone on the bus. With EMOTION.

I feel like if I stick to these goals, I will not be let down. I also am excited to bond with all of my ladies, and Hayden. The next 10 days will be the sweet and dirty restoration life… Bring it on!

Pre-New Orleans Experience 

I am very excited for this trip. From everything that we learned in class I can just tell I am going to love it out there. I am not quite sure what to expect. I know that I will be receiving an experience that is going to be eye opening. I expect to come back with the knowledge of another culture and a better understanding of what the people of New Orleans went through with hurricane Katrina. I am curious to see the destruction that was left behind, and to learn more about the failure of the levies, and the affects of sea level rise on the plant species. I cannot wait to learn about a new ecosystem and culture! 

Expectations

I am excited to be heading out to New Orleans, to learn more about the culture there as well helping people both through the research we will be doing as well as though the garden work.