Two years ago, I got the chance to go to New Orleans with my college over spring break. This trip was not your typical spring break trip, there was no partying or wild nights, it was an alternative spring break which involved community service. I signed up for this trip on a whim, I had heard my friends talk about how great of a trip it was, so I decided that I had to be a part of it. One part of the trip would involve demolition of a house and the other part was going to a local elementary school and spending time with the children either reading or going into the classroom and working with them. This would also be the first time that I would be traveling on a plane so needless to say I was both nervous and excited about going. When the day came, I remember feeling so nervous to get on that plane for the first time but so ready to experience a new place and to get to work with the elementary school students. I said goodbye to my mom and went to go join the group of friends that I was going to be spending the week with. We boarded the plane and with the help of one of my best friends in the world, who I sat next to on the plane because I was that nervous about it, I made it to New Orleans without a problem! We got off the plane and the adventure began. The week that I spent in NOLA was one of the most rewarding, exciting, and life changing weeks that I ever experienced in my life. From the food and the music in the southern restaurants to seeing the hurricane Katrina museum, and meeting people who survived the hurricane and hearing their stories, I was immediately drawn to the excitement and resilience of the city. It was amazing to see people who were truly left with nothing and to see how they got through it, it was amazing. Working with the elementary school students was so incredibly fulfilling in an entirely different way, their energy and love for life is the reason why I knew right then and there that I was meant to work with kids. New Orleans and that trip will always hold a special place in my heart. I learned things about myself and did things that I never thought that I could do. I learned how to demo a house using a crowbar and removed insulation. The organization that we worked with were incredibly welcoming and full of positive energy and spirit. They are some of the most amazing people that I ever met. The best part of it all was that I got to do it with my friends. I got closer with them because of this trip. I roomed with a girl that I knew through a mutual friend and by the end of the trip we were better friends then when we started. She had been to NOLA before and we got to eat at some amazing places and eat even more amazing things like gumbo and bread pudding, which we still talk and dream about to this day. New Orleans is a special place. If you haven’t been there, go. You will learn so much history and see some truly amazing things and people.