NOLA state of mind

Last month, Boyfriend and I took a trip down to New Orleans. We expected to eat lots, drink lots, and chill the hell out, and NOLA did not disappoint on any of those fronts. But we weren't expecting to fall in love with this city in ways I'm still finding hard to quantify.

Perhaps it was the warm, muggy weather that inspires you to move just a little more slowly than you might back home....


Note my utter lack of coat, hat, gloves, or other blustery-weather attire, all of which was still required back home in Chicago despite it being late April!

... or the art and music that felt as though it was exploding at us everywhere we turned....












... or the cats who came out to play (and eat food that'd been left out for them by other visitors) in Jackson Square when it began to get dark....



... or the parades that came out of nowhere, celebrating some great or mundane aspect of life....


Each of these little parades we stumbed across was escorted by cops who'd blocked off the street in question. I can only imagine the reaction I'd get if I rang up Chicago's finest and asked for permission to do the same. I'm certain the response would not be printable!

... or the fact that no one gave a damn if you walked down the street with open booze, as long as you weren't causing a disturbance or hurting anyone else...



... or the shops, venues, and just plain atmosphere that warmed this goth girl's cold, black heart.






All I know is, I left feeling as though I'd found my creativity and inspiration again, and I can't wait to go back.