A Tangled Web

So this past weekend was the second time in my life I visited New Orleans. The first time was when I went to Tulane Days - yes, I was one of those. I then lived in New Orleans for six years, a quarter of my life. This past weekend was my first time back after moving away.

I like to torture myself, to hold on too long, to play the "what if" game in my head.

Driving back in to the city calmed me. I was home. Yes, I said it, home. For people who know me well, you know that my last year in New Orleans was anything but easy. By the end of it, I was definitely ready to leave. And while it was the right decision to go, now I just wish I was back.

I am wondering this though, does the city still look like a terrible mess? I honestly can't say. I'm not talking about the flattened areas of town, but on just a normal drive through the city - does the city look normal to visitors or can you see lots of damage? (Sidenote - I hate that there are national guardsmen in hummers patrolling the city again. There's a differece between a heavily armed guard in say NY and one in NOLA. In New York they're protecting the city from terrorism. In New Orleans, they're protecting the city from itself.)

On a lighter note. . . I saw Tulane play football. They lost worse than I hoped but as bad as I expected. I saw friends that I haven't seen in months and friends that I feel like I haven't seen in months. I saw my kids whom I love. I ate gumbo, which I hadn't eaten nearly recently enough. I did not see the Saints, but I did see the Superdome with all its cool lights. (I watched the game, and it was awesome, and now I really want to see them in person.) I learned that I will die of the plague or get exposed to it and then tell someone I love them - or not.

Um, I think that's it.