Last Friday, I flew to New Orleans for a five-day conference, and in about an hour, I will leave for the airport to fly home. I'm ready to leave, looking forward to seeing the baby and Oliver and Wes. I'm ready for my own bed and not having to eat out for every meal. But I've actually really enjoyed being here. The conference was good. I heard several really excellent presentations and contacted several of the presenters about common interests, some of whom have replied and shared their papers. I'm making connections in a way that will support my work and, perhaps, in future years my ability to get a job. I got to see my advisor at his book signing, and it's always fun to see someone you know, whose work you know well and respect, surrounded by other people who don't know him as well and who are as excited and impressed to meet him as I am to meet many of the "famous" educational researchers I've seen here at the conference.
Other than sleeping as much as I can -- something I thought I should do with so rare a break from baby night-duty -- I did get to see some of New Orleans. Were I here for vacation, I would have done and seen a lot more, but this time it was just one part of my efforts. I had dinner Friday night with two classmates, one of our professors, and her husband. We had drinks at the Columns Hotel (I even sipped a mojito that my classmate ordered!) and dinner at Jacques-imos. I had potato crusted drum with mashed sweet potatoes and corm maque choux, which was delicious. The cream on the drum was unbelievable. On Sunday night, I got to visit with friends from Charlottesville who now live in New Orleans. I saw their children (so big!), met their new chicks (so fuzzy!), and got to enjoy their company for several hours. They took me for an authentic po' boy at a local place, then for beignets (so sweet!). This morning, with an alarm set to get me moving in time for breakfast before the airport shuttle comes, I made it across the street for a breakfast of pain perdue, which is New Orleans style french toast -- crustier that what I've had elsewhere, but very good, especially with the heaping fruit on the side. I've ridden the streetcar to Uptown, had a walking tour of the Garden District, and can see the river out my window. I've been on both Canal and Bourbon Streets, though in the broad daylight. I suppose I was a bit of loser for not having gone out more -- to hear some of the French Quarter Jazzfest or to some of the local bars with my classmates -- but I've enjoyed the trip and feel both rested and like I got a lot out of this trip.
I don't know if or when I'll be back to New Orleans. Wes had a conference here a year or more ago, so it seems likely that at some point one of us will be heading back. For now, I'm glad to have come, to have seen, to have connected a few sights so famous from those days after Katrina -- like the Superdome -- with the "after" picture (though there's always more work to be done). And right at this moment, I can't wait to get home.
Other than sleeping as much as I can -- something I thought I should do with so rare a break from baby night-duty -- I did get to see some of New Orleans. Were I here for vacation, I would have done and seen a lot more, but this time it was just one part of my efforts. I had dinner Friday night with two classmates, one of our professors, and her husband. We had drinks at the Columns Hotel (I even sipped a mojito that my classmate ordered!) and dinner at Jacques-imos. I had potato crusted drum with mashed sweet potatoes and corm maque choux, which was delicious. The cream on the drum was unbelievable. On Sunday night, I got to visit with friends from Charlottesville who now live in New Orleans. I saw their children (so big!), met their new chicks (so fuzzy!), and got to enjoy their company for several hours. They took me for an authentic po' boy at a local place, then for beignets (so sweet!). This morning, with an alarm set to get me moving in time for breakfast before the airport shuttle comes, I made it across the street for a breakfast of pain perdue, which is New Orleans style french toast -- crustier that what I've had elsewhere, but very good, especially with the heaping fruit on the side. I've ridden the streetcar to Uptown, had a walking tour of the Garden District, and can see the river out my window. I've been on both Canal and Bourbon Streets, though in the broad daylight. I suppose I was a bit of loser for not having gone out more -- to hear some of the French Quarter Jazzfest or to some of the local bars with my classmates -- but I've enjoyed the trip and feel both rested and like I got a lot out of this trip.
I don't know if or when I'll be back to New Orleans. Wes had a conference here a year or more ago, so it seems likely that at some point one of us will be heading back. For now, I'm glad to have come, to have seen, to have connected a few sights so famous from those days after Katrina -- like the Superdome -- with the "after" picture (though there's always more work to be done). And right at this moment, I can't wait to get home.
1 comment:
Sounds like the conference was great. Nice to hear from you.
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