It’s been almost three months since my move to New Orleans and thankfully as I expected, it feels so right being here. It’s said by some that New Orleans has her own kind of Spirit and her own ways of doing things. She calls to those she wants here for her own reasons. New Orleans will put the people she calls here through various tests. Those that survive her tests will thrive. And by thrive, they don't mean live through them but they mean keep themselves in the purpose that New Orleans called them here for. I’ve been told that I should take the avenues presented to me and honor any and all bargains I make. It’s been exciting to open myself to new opportunities and experiences. I’ve grown immensely in just a few months of being here which oftentimes feels like a mixed bag of many emotions. I’ve been drawn to practice my spirituality again and deepen my connection to my own energy and ancestors. Also, learning how to shift and release what no longer serves me. I am very grateful that this change in environment has provided me with much needed time to focus and to be re-inspired. I've been taking this time to nurture my goals and dreams and make new ones along the way. In the era of COVID-19 with everything being unpredictable and different, it feels especially transcendent to recognize that we don’t have to hold off on everything and we can still focus on what we do have control over or find a different way.

Finding new work in the era of COVID-19 has been challenging but not exactly in the ways I knew it would be, but that it’s now more competitive since a lot of the work I do which is a unique niche community health work is now virtual, out of my qualifications, or COVID-19 related. I am still interviewing though and will hopefully land a position in a few weeks but it may be different than my previous work which I am definitely open to. I’ve been doing my best to move through my feelings of discomfort a lot faster than I am used to but I do have so much to be grateful for in my life despite this temporary challenge. At first, a lot of my time being here has been spent envisioning and creating my new space. Lots of trips to Lowe’s to pick up paint and other home improvement supplies plus organizing furniture drop-off times with locals which have been an easy way to meet new people of course socially distant and with masks on. Moving into an empty home was a mind-blowing first experience and as someone who likes to get things done as quickly as possible, I had to remind myself that it takes patience and love to fill a home over time.

"I've been taking this time to nurture my goals and dreams and make new ones along the way."

One of my favorite cultural differences here from the Pacific Northwest is that there is an urgency and interest to meet your neighbors and understand your neighborhood. I met Ms. Wanda who lives directly across from me the first few days of moving in and it felt very special. I was sitting on my porch steps early one morning and she walked over to me with this barking white fluffy puppy and introduced herself and her puppy whose name is Baby. She told me she’s been living in her home for 30 years which is a duplex home where her daughter and granddaughter live on the other side. She gave me this brief update on who lives where on the block and even about the house I am currently residing in. In just that first week talking to her on various occasions it was fair to come to the conclusion that everyone knew her and she knew everyone. You can tell she really loved this community and said to me that it’s such a necessity to know who you live by in case you need any help. I definitely agree with this statement even if it’s so rare for me to experience. It’s also part of that southern hospitality to acknowledge folks around you because it shows a sense of respect and safety. I love that whenever I walk anywhere I say hello or head nod to at least five people on the way. I am obsessed with the food, the weather, the grittiness, and even though hurricane season can understandably be very scary it was an exciting test to experience and understand better. Even though we’re all dealing with the pandemic and the loss of so much, the people here are still very caring and with all of their hearts miss the full spirit of New Orleans and can’t wait for her to return when it’s safe for us all. People know she will survive this as she’s survived darker times and even in these dark times now, there’s still so much love and hope.

During my time here I have learned that making transitions like a cross-country move can feel very slow-moving until everything else falls into place so I am trying to stay patient and gentle with myself in the meantime. The best part since moving is that I’ve reconnected to my spirituality in ways that have been steady and intentional. It’s been exciting to reconnect to these parts of myself that in the past I felt too overwhelmed and anxious to practice on a consistent basis. I now know the feeling again of having faith or trust that my spirituality gives me an opportunity to focus on changing my circumstances and negative feelings which is very important in order to achieve my next step. A big difference around my spiritual work here is that am now learning to honor and talk with my ancestors. I now have an ancestral altar where I ask for answers, guidance, and remind my ancestral line that I am thinking of them. There are so many benefits to showing your appreciation and love to our family, friends, and teachers who are no longer physically with us because they do have the power if it’s channeled to gift us with our answers, dreams, and hopes.

"..she will survive this as she’s survived darker times and even in these dark times now, there’s still so much love and hope."

As I am still working on getting both of my feet onto the ground to run which can be an unsettling feeling of stagnancy, I’ve been happier here than I’ve been in a long time and even the people closest to me have witnessed this too. With that said, I really hope that people take this opportunity at this moment to find what brings them joy and take risks because you will always learn something valuable about your decision and circumstances, and become more confident in yourself.