I just got back from New Orleans and what a time! I didn’t tell people when I got back because I wanted to sit with my thoughts on my experience. I had no expectation for my first visit beyond receiving what the city wanted to give me.

My flight was delayed so I missed a whole day but my girlfriend picked me up with all the hype that I needed to make me feel welcome. The day before I arrived she asked what I wanted from the store. It means a lot when friends consider my dairy free lifestyle when inviting me places or buying food from the market. Yes I say market. I am a Golden Girl. I feel like she did this for selfish reasons. She loves my cooking!

I arrived at her house after midnight and made us cocktails. We talked until the wee hours of the morning. I already knew my attitude was not gone be right if I didn’t get 8 hours but I told myself I would sleep back in Los Angeles and chose to have a great attitude the entire trip. Drinks were had. Sleep was not.

The next day, we hit the ground running. This girl had me on a street car all day so we could day drink without worry. The street car ( if you call it a trolley they will stone you) drove down St. Charles Street and I was able to soak up the city. The houses were bright, colorful and full of character. I’m sorry but Los Angeles could never!

Next stop was The Vue Orleans. This is an interactive museum that displayed the history of New Orleans. I learned so much about the city and its residents. They had an elevator that took you up 35 floors while showing you a short film on the wall. It’s hard to describe but I felt surrounded by the history of Louisiana and fell in love.

Drink time! We walked over to Sazerac house for some history lessons and libations. First of all, this was the most beautiful distillery I have ever seen. At the Vue Museum I learned about the Sazerac House so I was excited to dive deeper into its creation.

We had three tastings of whisky, rum, and gin. The cocktail called the Bee’s Knees ( made with gin) was our favorite. Bianca thought the first two tasted like rubbing alcohol. I told her to suck it up and drink it down. She did no such thing and nursed that drink until it was gone.

Bianca asked me my thoughts on New Orleans and I even told her I need to sit with this experience. I was raised in Los Angeles but was somewhat sheltered. I didn’t grow up listening to west coast rap, didn’t know all the hood spots, and didn’t hang with any gang members other than the ones at church who mother mayfield called heathens. I never felt connected to LA even though I love my city. Anyone that meets me thinks I’m from New York or the east coast. I’ve always moved different.

Living in Los Angeles can make you jaded, arrogant, impatient, entitled, and demanding. You can spend your whole life dancing to the beat of other peoples drums. When I say that I mean, living for others, people pleasing, feeling obligated to do everything, and letting FOMO consume you. It’s so fast paced. It can be overwhelming. It can cause you to show less of yourself and more of what others want to see.

My time in New Orleans was life changing. For the first time in a long time I felt zero pressure and had no plans. I woke up when I wanted, answered my phone when I wanted, and stayed wherever I was as long as I wanted. There was no list that closed at a certain time making me arrive somewhere before I really wanted too.

I realize that I would prefer to be a bird. Just soaring, soaking up the sun, and letting the wind guide me. Yes I need to take time to go eat some worms but I want to move freely in every area of my life. Having boundaries with my loved ones has allowed me to be said bird.

The rain stopped nothin! Normally I don’t leave the house when it rains unless absolutely necessary. It rained everyday at some point in New Orleans. I literally blinked and it was heavy showers to where we had to stay where we were at until the rain knew how to act. Light showers still allowed us to sight see. I was singin in the rain.

Now ya’ll know I was not gone come to New Orleans and NOT have gumbo. I had no expectations because I was told it was just okay and mine was better. They serve gumbo like the soup of the day so It’s understandable that not all would be good but I wanted to see for myself.

I had gumbo at every place I went. The last place was my least favorite. It was good but had no seafood so it wasn’t giving what I needed it to give. The other three were so good.

The first place was called Monday. It was full of seafood flavor and spicy. It needed a pinch of chicken bouillon but it was delicious.

The second place was called Neyows. I went there for oysters and saw the gumbo. It had shrimp, sausage, and ham. Ham y’all! I told Bianca that this was an abomination. She decided to order it anyway. Now I talked about this gumbo atrocity until it came to the table. I told her it looked a little watery and the ham addition was beyond me. I bad mouthed this poor thang to the point where Bianca said BITCH, I still gotta eat this! After all that judgement, I decided to taste it anyway. First of all, it was BUSSIN’. I mean the flavor was bomb. Y’all, I don’t think I’ve ever summoned a waitress so fast. I had to repent to my friend.

The third place was called Atchafalaya. I was tricked when I got there. Nothing I wanted was on the menu for the season. It didn’t look like a place that had good gumbo but it was the only thing that was of interest. I learned my lesson of speaking ill of the gumbo so I ordered it and just let it do what it was gone do to my taste buds. It was delicious.

One night, we hit up a place called 14 parishes. It was black owned and they served Jamaican food. Let me just say that this cocktail is my new favorite drink. Upstairs is a lounge called hummingbird that was a whole vibe. I’m annoyed that nobody in New Orleans dances. TBH people barely dance in LA. Everybody too cool for school I guess. Not me! Anybody that knows me, knows if I even hear the faintest music, the auntie dances are happenin’.

Everywhere we went I talked to the wait staff, people around me, and surprisingly the owner of this super cute lounge called Ciao. I wasn’t tethered to my phone the entire trip and my experience was better because of it. I came back home, inspired, grateful, and more understanding.

If you wanna fly you gotta get rid of everything that weighs you down.

Love Bobbie Cheri, the bird