I've so much enjoyed serving the community in different ways this semester. Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity really made me think a lot about the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, a time during which my family didn't have our own home for a little while. Thankfully, we were in a situation that enabled us to quickly get back on our feet and into a house that we would one day call home, but being able to help someone else get into a home of their own, and for some their first home, really meant a lot to me.

On a much lighter note, I also had the opportunity to volunteer at KIPP and help out an old sorority sister who is a teacher there! Her first graders provide enough hugs and smiles to brighten anyone's day. I plan on helping out her class regularly next semester and am very much looking forward to spending time with so many precious and bright college-bound scholars.

Community Service Hours Summary:
Habitat for Humanity: 24 Hours
KIPP: 6 Hours
Total: 30 hours

November sure was a busy month! Between friends and family coming to visit and Thanksgiving flying by, I can't believe it's already December and the semester is coming to a close. I was lucky enough this month to do some of my favorite things in the city: go to a Saints game and attend Poboy Fest, one of my all-time favorite New Orleans festivals (quite a feat, considering the fact that there are so many). It’s been a little harder to be a Saints fan this season as compared to other seasons, but I’m trying my best to stay optimistic for future games!

Thanksgiving was another great opportunity for me to learn about and enjoy all of the wonderful things the state of Louisiana has to offer. My grandparents live in a tiny town outside of Lafayette called Abbeville, where my mother and her siblings grew up. You drive through a few hours of sugar cane fields in order to finally reach a small cluster of buildings surrounded by other sugar cane fields. A few of the radio stations broadcasted mostly in Cajun French, which felt very much like being in a foreign country. However, if you’ve never tried boudin and/or cracklins, please stop whatever you are doing and attempt to find some. Two specialties of the Atchafalaya River basin that you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else, these are some of the tastiest (and fattening) foods I have ever tried. I ate so many cracklins that I made myself sick. I just couldn’t stop! Thankfully, the geographical distance that generally separates myself from the cracklin supply is substantial, so I think I can hold off until next Thanksgiving.