NOLA

Enjoying the sunshine

Meschiya Lake and the Loose Marbles

Marie Laveau's tomb

He'll teach you to play chess for 5$

Another rag tag group we saw. They were great!

New Orleans has the most wonderful characters. Yesterday (Sunday) was the perfect day to explore the French quarter and watch the street performers. I was amazed at how talented some of them were. By far, my favorite was Meschiya Lake. She stood there, rocking back and forth on her heels, singing with enough power to draw a crowd, packing the steps of the court house on Royal. While the band took a break, I met a street performer, not pictured above, named Erica. She was a face painter/hula hooper. I asked her what made her decide to do this and she told me right off the bat, "This isn't my job. I work during the week. I have my BA in psychology and I am going to attend grad school at Tulane in the fall. I do this because I love the city and the people here."

She explained to me that most of the street performers aren't beggars. They are genuine performers and they live by "all the world's a stage...especially Royal St." However, performers aren't just found in that one area. Wandering through Jackson sq. in front of St. Louis Cathedral, we saw psychics, artists, musicians, and vendors of all different kinds. Every time I visit this city I am reminded of all the things I want to do. For me, New Orleans is the height of inspiration. When I am here, I am alive.