The Heart of Nola

Lost in Audobon Park is where I found the pulse of the majestic city of New Orleans. Destination-less, I wondered through a park which heald on this day, to this girl, the heart of a grand city. I arrived by looking up from my seat on the street car to see myself surrounded by unfamiliar greens, trees, and bumblebees of all sorts. From my first step off the bus, I was lost. Lost in the infinite forms and formless beauties this space holds. I did not have to move through the park for the park moved me. The statues grabbed me unto them as I entered the park until I met the waters edge which held my hand as I walked beside it. Then the people lured me in closer and closer to finding what I had no idea I was seeking. I watched intently. Dressed in their Sunday best, both large and small groups gathered. They gathered around eachother carefully honoring eachothers space, their speech beautifully paced with just a touch of the southern draw. They gathered around blues and funk music and brown paper bags of crawfish. They gathered around pots of gumbo and corn on the cob. Their delight is gentle and supple, a delight I am not exactly used to but I am drawn to in the most subtle of ways. I followed the gatherings to what brought me to the edge of the marvelous Mississippi River. I sat amongst them and continued to get lost in the essence. Lovers sat in silence holding eachother, babies beautifully adorned crawled towards the water edge, I feel it pulling them in the same way it pulls me. Kids, wearing sagged jeans and baseball caps stroll by a top horses and the Caucasian man and his cardigan sweater hitting golf balls into the Mississippi River has taken on half a dozen African American youngsters patiently giving each a chance to forever leave their mark at the bottom of these murky waters. I continue through the park, giraffes wink at me as I pass and I now that I have touched the heart of this grand city I began to say my farewells. Forever in my heart of heart New Orleans, tata for now;) 

More concrete updates: I'm amazing! Loving every second of my trip so far. I depart for Miami via bus today. It's a LONG bus ride, wish me well.