Kalen Nicole

Called the girls and put them all on a spaceship: How a trip to New Orleans with a group of friends re-affirmed my identity, through cultural immersion, a superb group dynamic and youthful bliss.

The purpose of the trip was to have fun after a hectic semester, to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished in the past year and to bond before we begin to move apart.

The group consisted of me: Kalen, my BFFLS: CheyeGood but Faith couldn’t make it 😦 , my cousin: Tuere and her friend who quickly became our friend: Helena! The dynamic was great. I’m very chill (at times) and Helena is also chill.

Tuere is my sister/ cousin/ we also share sister signs Astrologically and we compliment one another in a myriad of ways. A few years ago, Tuere and I noticed that lots of my friends have a similar disposition as Tuere and many of her friends are similar to me. Cheyenne is my best friend and also reminds me of Tuere: very self-aware, strong willed and goal oriented, while I am laid back and mildly conflict avoidant. Long story short- the mix was perfect!

We were immersed in New Orleans Culture as soon as we boarded our first Lyft. Our driver was proud to be from NOLA. She told us about growing up in New Orleans and frequently personified the city as “she,” as she told us what sites to visit and things to do and assured us we would have a good time, “bahbee.”

So we checked into the hotel, took a nap and then checked out the city.

We talked with locals and shared an appetizer platter. We marveled at the architecture, the different colorful buildings and the ability of the city to be so big but remain quaint.

There were so many people who looked like me, mothers, aunties, young people, all complementing, speaking to one another and showing love. The people are beautiful, kind and community oriented. I felt they were in love with themselves, taking pride in their appearance, lifestyle and culture. They embrace the full scope of humanity and Black tradition. Things that are shunned and exploited in the Midwest, are moderated and artfully intertwined into life in the Big Easy.

There is no shame in New Orleans because there is no judgement- There is respect for yourself and for others, and the overlapping of those two things breeds a sense of community and shared values. We encountered a young lady our age and Tuere told her how pretty she was. The young lady replied,

“I am a reflection of you love.”

We had such a good time! Nothing can ever happen the same way twice. I believe the experiences happened as it did because of our perspectives as 21-22-year-olds: happy, curious about the world and ready to have a good time bahbee.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Let the good times roll!