Dec. 30, 2019
Outer Journey- preparations
As the departure date gets closer and closer the excitement has grown immensely. My top priority in getting ready for my time away is making arrangements for my children while I am gone. I have an 11-year-old and 8-year-old. My husband, their stepdad still has to work (I’m laughing on the inside) so I had to make sure someone was able to watch them during the day. When I found out about this travel course, I immediately talked to my husband about going. He was on board and I got my spot reserved! I went on a trip to Germany in high school many moons ago, so I am familiar with long train rides and living in a hotel room with unfamiliar people. There will also be many people and sites that I have never seen and that is ok with me.
Over the last week or two, I have looked up things that are near the hotel, mostly places to eat because I love food and am so excited to have Cajun and seafood every day if I wanted to. There are a few things I have come across that I may want to explore on our free day. I love all things scary so the haunted tour has me ecstatic. I am looking forward to learning about the history and architecture of the city. I was in New Orleans with my family when I was about 14 years-old and do not remember much, mostly the sights that we are warned about that stick in your head anyhow.
Since I still have to work 2 more days before we leave, I have not packed because I’m sure I still have laundry to do in the next 2-3 days. Packing is always a last minute thing for me, it does not excite me and usually I hope it just happens on its own. I have a list of things to bring in my backpack for our daily tours, definitely snacks, water, extra socks and shoes and a poncho in case we get wet and my tablet. I purchased a smaller notebook for taking notes and such for my blog posts. This blogging is all new to me, as I love just a pen and paper.
Inner Journey- expectations
I love to travel, my husband and I try to make short trips when time allows and we also plan one big family trip each year. Being able to take a travel course to a place known for art, music, culture and of course food is going to be an awesome opportunity. Looking at the itinerary, there seems to be so much we are doing. I hope that my feet can handle it! The art and music experiences are going to be what I am most looking forward to. I enjoy all types of music and this will be a city that opens my eyes to many new types. I do remember all the street players when I went when I was younger.
I am not sure what to actually expect while on this trip. There will be so many new things I will experience. I am not good at taking pictures, my children can attest to that. Hopefully I will remember to have my phone or camera out A LOT so that I can share all the sights and memories with family and friends when I return home. Once I get used to the blog, I think it will be my friend as far as sharing and expressing all of my encounters while in the city of New Orleans.
This trip is going to be different for me personally, I have left my kids for traveling but always with my husband. I do have good nursing friends attending this trip with me but I am not going to be in a familiar place with anyone that I have been around for more than a 2-3-hour lecture or clinical time. I want to learn all about the history of the city and enjoy myself. This will be an awesome learning experience since it is not a vacation that I planned that would mostly consist of relaxation and some sight-seeing. Having so many places we are touring will be the best learning experience. If I was traveling on my own, I would just walk through places and not get information from a guide or historian. I hope to come back from this trip with a better understanding of history and culture. I will be completely worn out but excited about that at the same time.
