Serendipity with Adam

Yesterday we went to the venue where the WGU graduation was happening.  We were right there almost exactly when the jazz band marched out, leading the graduates.  We could not have timed it better.  We were by the bus, which is a hot spot for photographs and I saw so many tearful graduates hugging people that it made me a little tearful.  I just felt such joy and pride for these people I didn't even know.  Adam pointed out that without any affirmative action, it was an extremely diverse group of graduates.  "There is a lot of advertising though," he said.

I texted Mark and Emma, whose jobs are to help people pay for college, that for everyone who yells at them (because there are some), there are these jubilant graduates, posing for pictures.  

Working in education can be a grind, but it also feels like the most worthwhile thing I can do.

Adam loaded Cameron and Kaden and Brandon and a guy I never found out the name of (and Adam didn't introduce me because he wasn't sure) into the van and drove us to a sort of shady part of town to eat po boys at a place where they make the "original" po boys.  Adam dives deep into things and that is all.

I mentioned something about it to the boys (who are grown men, but it felt like a carload of teenage boys) and they said, "Yeah.  Just wait until he starts talking about the supreme court."

I am aware.

We pulled up to the restaurant and I said, "Are we really eating there?!?"

We were.  And it wasn't as sketchy as I thought and it was really good food.  

After lunch, we dropped them off and went exploring.  Besides diving deep into topics that interest him, Adam is also one for spontaneity.  We had no plan.

Adam said that New Orleans looks like it's been through something and I think that's pretty true.

We drove through some kind of rough places and then stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom.  Adam noticed on the map that we were near a National Cemetery and then he realized it was the site of the Battle of New Orleans.

And yes, I played the Johnny Horton song on my phone while we drove there.

It set the mood.

We went to the visitors center and talked to the guide and watched the videos and read all the things like we do.  It's nice that we're so compatible and want to find out about the same kinds of things.

We walked around the battlefield.  It was beautiful and serene.

But still had the ramparts and some cannons to remind you that it wasn't always so serene.

It was a pretty amazing battle.  2,000 British troops either died, were injured or surrendered and there were 20 American casualties.  

We walked up the levee to the river.  There was a staircase and it was 26 steps (I counted). Here's the view from the levee:

This house was built after the battle. The original house was burned by the troops so the British couldn't get it.  I wonder about the conversation with the homeowners.  

The view on the other side of the levee:

Bordered the battleground, there was a National Cemetery.  There were a few soldiers from the Battle of New Orleans and many many Union soldiers from the Civil War.  There were veterans buried there from World War I and II and Vietnam too.

I love a cemetery.

It's the only cemetery we've seen that isn't above ground.  

After that, we went to City Park.  The serendipity continued.  The weather was perfect and the park was pretty amazing.  There was a children's museum, art museum, sculpture park, little amusement park, sport fields, playgrounds, people picnicking and strolling.  I loved it!

We took a walk and looked at the sculpture park.  It was lovely.

We worked up an appetite to go to the Cafe Du Monde they had at the park.  We split an order of beignets.  I think the park may be my favorite part of the city.

If all I'd seen of New Orleans was the French Quarter, I would have missed out on a lot!

Today is a travel day.  We are off to Alabama.