During the Week

After being in New Orleans for a few days now, it is safe to say that this trip will definitely be one to remember! From running around the French Quarter doing a scavenger hunt to mudding a wall, I have had so many new and exciting experiences here. I have to say, I was skeptical about how much damage still remained in the city, but I was totally wrong. Even though it has been 10 years since the storm, people are still without homes and without the resources to go back to their normal lives. The first full day here, we did a driving tour of the city and it was great to see the different socioeconomic neighborhoods, and a place like the Lower 9th Ward which was hit badly by the storm. We also got to see the Levys and Bayou, which was something interesting because it is nothing I have seen before living in New Jersey.

When we began the service week, we started with an orientation and we got to listen to an amazing personal testimony of a man who was in the area during the hurricane. That gave me a personal motivation for the work I was doing because I knew that every part of the house the team worked on was a contribution to a greater purpose of a family living and having a home there. It may sound cliche, but I truly can not imagine losing my house. Coming here directly after winter break, made me have a greater appreciation for my home. During finals week all I dreamt about was laying in my comfy bed and waking up to a home cooked breakfast on the weekends. To think that one day I could have these luxuries and the next day I couldn't was frightening. It is impossible for me to conceptualize the loss these people experienced, but all I can do is serve to try and make a minor impact.  Overall, the mudding was easily learned and once everyone mastered it, it was a lot of fun working along side my fellow bonners, especially ones I do not get to interact with a lot during the semester. The city has such a culture of love and perseverance that is already evident by the fourth day of being here.