Twenty Four Hours Seems So Far Away

Right about this time tomorrow (Wednesday), I'll be boarding a plane bound for my favorite city, New Orleans!! I am so excited and filled with a mix of emotions that wash over me when I realize how long today is actually going to seem for me. I couldn't sleep last night just thinking about my trip, so just know that tonight's slumber is going to present a major challenge.

When I visited two years ago, there was really no expectation, because I'd never been there before, I'd never met my 'roommates' in person, and I had my nightly activities pre-planned. Plus the kids were younger and school wasn't as much of an issue, plus Jesse had the week off work so he just stayed home with them.

Since this is technically a 'business trip', much of my itinerary is already in place and part of me worries that I just won't have time to do all the running around and sight~seeing that I will want to take part in.

Since I'm going with my Dad and he is partially disabled, I don't want him to feel left out because I felt the urge to go see a gig if I find out one of my boys is playing some night. This trip wouldn't even be possible without my Dad and I owe him absolutely everything...I would love to be able to explain why I love the city so much in words, but I simply cannot, so perhaps I'll have the chance to do so while we are there and I can show him some of the sights.

Regardless of my level of tourism vs. conference participation level, I'll be in New Orleans, which is awesome.

But today, the day before my trip, I am pregnant with anxiety; I feel like my nerves are swollen and overly sensitive. Putting my two eldest on the bus was bittersweet, because I know I won't see them again until Sunday evening. Right now, my youngest (who doesn't attend school until around lunchtime) is being quite a little pill! Although his special needs hold him back in some areas, he knows something is going on or that something different is about to happen. So he's giving me a hard time, and I'm guessing that will be until the very moment I put him on the bus today.

I'll be picked up around 2:30 this afternoon so Dad can avoid needing to get up extra~extra early and running into a.m. rush~hour traffic tomorrow a.m. picking me up on the way to the airport. I have the distinct feeling I'll be even more nervous at Mom & Dad's house, so I'll arm myself with my Scriptures & coloring materials. =P

I figured by the time I finished what must be an incredibly boring blog for anyone (but me) to read, I'd be hitting the 24~hour mark of when I'd actually be boarding the plane. And I have to say I'm pretty darn close.

I know what it means to miss New Orleans

There are only a few truly 'defining' moments in my life. The birth of my children, marrying my husband, and becoming a Mormon stand out in my mind. But right at the top of my 'list' would be my first trip to New Orleans, LA in February 2008. From the moment I could see the mighty Mississippi River from the airplane, my heart skipped a beat and I felt like I was coming home.

Stepping outside of the airport, drawing my first breath of New Orleans' air, feeling New Orleans' earth beneath my feet, and watching the people hustling and bustling by as I was engulfed with the city's metropolitan sounds swelling around me was surreal. Taking it all in was nearly impossible and I had to take pause before I motored to my hotel...I guess because I always said I'd make it to New Orleans, but I never actually believed I'd get there. During my brief but incredibly eventful stay, I took in as much as possible of the city I love.

I visited with my local musician friends, two of whom are a part of Harry Connick, Jr.'s big band. The entire time I was there, Harry was in town coordinating all of the music for the NBA All-Star Weekend, which was being held in New Orleans, coincidentally! Mardi Gras had just ended, a week or so earlier, so there were still beads hanging from the occasional tree branch or caught in a trolley track...a common sight for the locals, I'm sure, but super exciting for me ~ authentic MG beads!!! And I didn't even have to compromise my morals to obtain them!!! Heh.

Another friend of mine (who is in real estate) was kind enough to give me a tour of the FEMA disaster areas and Harry's Musicians' Village site he was building through Habitat for Humanity.

When it was time to say goodbye to my beloved city, I boarded the plane, quite depressed. I wasn't finished!! And just because I'd promised myself I'd come back, I was never certain it would actually happen.

Coming home was so bittersweet. As terrible as it sounds, I wasn't gone long enough to be homesick! Seeing the kids waiting for me at the airport was a delight, but coming back to Cincinnati's frigid negative wind chill factors and icy roads was definitely no fun.

As the song goes, "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" ~~~~ YES, I certainly do!

The good news, no, great news is that I'm goin' back!!! March 3rd!!! And I can't wait. Dad is taking me along to EPICon 2010 (Electronic Publisher's Internet Connection's annual writer's convention. Along with meeting some very cool authors and networking for my Dad's publishing company, we'll be taking a cruise on the Steamboat Natchez and staying at the Sheraton on Canal Street. Sooooo nice! Thank you, Daddy, for taking me along...I could not have asked for a more amazing gift! This was truly straight from his heart. I just hope I can show him a good time there and give him even a taste of the city I love so much. I do know we will forever have these memories that are yet to come but will be simply fabulous!