NOLA, The Big Easy, The Crescent City, New Orleans… I’ve never been so I never really “got it”  Well I’m here to tell you I get it now.  What a great city!  The food, the people, the streets, the buildings, the history, this is a city that has it all.  After the devastating hurricane that destroyed much of the city, many thought it may never recover, some thought maybe it shouldn’t.  Until you have been truly IN this city and seen the sites and smelled the smells you can’t really understand why New Orleans is an American treasure.  Many Americans get stuck in a city or a region of the United States and we just don’t get out and appreciate the rest of the country.  And when a disaster occurs in a region where we don’t live, we find it difficult to empathize with those affected by the disaster.  I also hear many of my friends talk about how they want to travel Europe yet when I ask them if they’ve seen the Redwoods or the Grand Canyon or been to New York City, they say they haven’t.  We all need to get out and visit our neighbors.  You know what I mean.  Get out and see the National Parks or the great cities of the US.  We need to get off the beaten path, talk to a local and check out one place the tourists just don’t know about.  I hope my walk-a-bout helps me, and maybe some of you, to understand our greater community.  Stick with me as I travel up our oldest coast.  Let’s get to know our neighbors together.  Peace