My Newest Favorite

For my last day of "blog week", I am posting this picture. It has become my newest favorite... We were on our way out of the French Quarter after downing our beignets at Cafe du Monde with Hillary and Cash and we stopped in front of the St. Louis Cathedral (because there were some silly guys doing a little show practically right in the street and we watched for a minute). I looked over at the cathedral and saw how it looked against the purple sky and snapped this picture. I got home and took a look at it and fell in love. Obviously I'm not Catholic, so that has no part in it. What I love is that it's so "New Orleans". The cathedral is obviously photographed over and over and over again and I have quite a few pics of it myself. But it's hard to see pictures of New Orleans that don't include some of the cathedral.

So when I look at it I just think of New Orleans and what it means to me and to my family. I've said it before and I'll say it again--this is the last place on earth I ever figured I'd move my family and live my life. I cried my eyes out when we had to leave Iowa and move here, but it wasn't long at all after we got here that I realized there was something special about the Big Easy that you just don't get anywhere else. My life has been enriched with culture, as have my taste buds. The food, the atmosphere, the spirit of this city is like no other place in the United States. And believe me, there is a big long list of things I could do without. But you just deal with the bad because there is so much good. For a long time it seemed that I was almost supposed to hate it here, but I just couldn't. In conversations I've had with friends, we have described this city as quirky, yet charming; the best and worst place to live all wrapped up in one. And I think those are pretty fair descriptions. But the greatest thing about New Orleans for me is that I have truly learned how to be independent, how to do hard things, how to get out of my comfort zone, how to love every minute with my little family, how to make new friends, and how to give 100% when sometimes it's not easy. There have been times when these things have pushed me to my limits and they have not been easy, no doubt. And there's no way to know how long we'll live here and what the future may hold, but I have vowed to have a good attitude about it and leave here a better person than when I came and have no regrets when and if that time comes. And the more I live that way, the more I find myself saying "I love NOLA" (and believe me, I never thought I'd say that!).

Phew, 7 days straight of blogging...it wasn't easy and I have a new appreciation for all you 'once-a-day' bloggers. I'll keep on blogging, believe me, but it won't be that often!! :)