Food, Fun and more Food in New Orleans

The sun setting on Jackson Square.

I am so fortunate to work for an organization that encourages professional development. This past week, I was in New Orleans to attend my first ADRP Conference. (That’s Association of Donor Relations Professionals for those of you who don’t know.) I was really excited about this one because I didn’t have to go alone! My coworkers Michal and Andrew came, too.

We didn’t realize it at first, but we ended up flying there on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Security in the Tulsa airport was more intense. Everyone got body scanned and a dog came by and sniffed our carry-on items before we boarded the plane. I am pretty calm about these things, but I definitely had butterflies until we landed in New Orleans. I kept thinking about the people who lost their lives that day. It started out like any other but ended up being a day none of us will ever forget. I think we were all sending up extra prayers that day for all those who lost loved ones and had their lives changed forever.

Once getting to NOLA safely, we jumped into the conference. We came away with more connections and several good ideas for our program. We also walked away a few pounds heavier! The food was really amazing, much to my surprise. I am not a fan of seafood in pretty much any form so I thought dining might be a little tricky for me. As it turns out, I really like Cajun food and there were plenty of non-seafood options to keep me well fed.

 Blackened chicken at Oceana on night 1. Maybe my favorite meal of the entire trip! 

 Beignets at Café Du Monde. They were messy but delicious! 

We visited Emeril's restaurant NOLA on our second evening. Again, great food. Unfortunately we didn't bump into Emeril! 

 

This was my first time in New Orleans and even though we were there early in the week, the streets were always active and there was plenty going on. Music was everywhere. In fact, when I walked into my room, there were earplugs waiting to greet me on my bed. I never used them, but I was tempted to the last night.

 

 

 This was the scene just outside my hotel room on Tuesday night.

One of my favorite parts was getting to see a mini parade on Monday night. I know it was nothing like Mardi Gras, but it was a fun experience. One minute we are souvenir shopping and the next thing we know, there’s a police car outside with lights flashing leading a parade of people dancing and having a great time. Michal even earned herself some beads! (Don’t worry, Wade. All she was flashing was her smile.) It was definitely a good place to visit. I don’t know that I’ll be planning another trip there too soon, though. I’m giving my waistline some time to recover.