Happy New Year Everyone! We made it! It’s not as though as the bell tolled midnight on New Year’s Eve all our problems disappeared, but it still felt like a weight was lifted nonetheless. 2020 was a year I’m sure none of us will ever forget, but I hope we’ll remember the good that went with the bad. Catching up with old friends, learning new skills, starting new hobbies, or just learning to slow down a little bit – these are all really good things that I hope will balance the memories of 2020 for some of us. I’m obviously not making light of all of the challenges we faced, the loved ones we lost and the economic devastation that so many people have and will continue to experience, but I hope that in the end there will be good memories somewhere during this year for us all.
2020 started on a very positive note for me. I headed south to Mississippi, one of my favorite states and one that I was looking forward to getting to know better. It didn’t disappoint. While Mississippi is probably the deepest of the Deep South states, and one of the most economically and educationally challenged, it’s also full of wonderful people, music, history and scenery and it’s a place that keeps drawing me back.
I was there longer than I thought I would be and ended up heading to New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras. I enjoyed catching up with some really good friends that weekend and of course feasted on crawfish and king cake. On Mardi Gras Day, I got up early to wake up the Treme neighborhood with the Northside Skull and Bones Gang. After a long morning march followed by a cup of coffee, I headed to the Marigny for brunch with my Mardi Gras Morning Krewe and then paraded for a while before chasing the Mardi Gras Indians around town in the afternoon. It was amazing and looking back I’m so glad that I was there for it.
Leaving New Orleans, I headed for Texas where I felt like a new chapter was finally beginning. As much as I loved my time exploring Appalachia and the Deep South, it was time for some new scenery and some different history to contemplate…
