Entering a predominantly South Louisiana populated sorority as one of the only North Louisiana girls, I came to the conclusion that I could use all the help I could get. I knew a lot of people up and down the row, but I had fallen in love with Delta Gamma during recruitment, and I wanted to do something different. And so I entered, guns blazing, into the terrifying, yet exciting, realm of the unknown.
On Bid Day, I noticed that there seemed to be a group of girls with an unparalleled aura of fun. Somehow, they knew everyone, and if they ran into someone they didn't know, they made it a point to become their best friend instantaneously. Of course, I wanted in. I wanted them to adopt me and bring me to (real) Mardi Gras and teach me everything that they knew.
Over a year later, I'm still learning. There are some things, however, that I don't think I'll ever understand.
1. The Accent
This one is a given. After roughly one million arguments with my friends about the pronunciation of "house", "syrup", "caramel", and "pajamas", I've decided that I'm hanging a white flag from my roof ("ruff", as they would say). I've learned to avoid these words at all costs, because no one should have to receive the amount of verbal abuse that I did that one time I said "snowcone" instead of "snowball."
Also, I'm still confused about what grammar school is. If anyone would like to explain that to me, I'm all ears.
2. The School Pride
Don't get me wrong. I loved my high school (#GoFlyers!). I occasionally recall those times with fondness and nostalgia, and I'm still in close contact with a lot of the people I met there. What really threw me off was when, one day, I walk into the DG house to find a group of girls watching Spirit Day videos while wearing their school socks and sweaters (you know who you are). I guess, though, they're doing something right down there in the 504, because I've never seen a more entertaining fight than between rival all-girls high schools in New Orleans.
3. The Geography
Growing up in Shreveport, where pretty much everything is within 10 minutes driving distance, I didn't understand that some outlying areas of New Orleans could be as far as 35 minutes away from each other. I had only been to the tourist parts (sorry for being basic) so when I went to visit during Christmas break, however, I quickly learned that this was, in fact, the case. I'm still working on the East Bank/West Bank thing, and I'll get back to y'all with updates if they don't murder me first for getting it wrong.
As much as I make fun of the NOLA girls, I really do love them. Their spirit is something that you can't find in any other person, and they definitely know how to have a good time. There are some things that I will never understand, but I guess that's what makes them so much fun.
