voodoo...it's really similar to catholicism.

Okay, let me clarify: I do not agree with the above statement. That was a direct quote from our bicycle tour guide.

Days 5 and 6: New Orleans!

So, out of all the places we visited on our road trip, the French Quarter in New Orleans was probably my favorite. This town looks like it was plucked right out of France and plopped down in the United States. Its quaint buildings, beautiful churches, and unique landscape gives the French Quarter its amazing character.

Our hotel (The Saint Peter House...I recommend it to anyone!) was an old, Victorian-style home. We even had our own courtyard - it was gorgeous!

So this blog is going to be more of a picture-walk. There were so many unique parts of this part of the city that words just wouldn't do justice.

 You can't go to New Orleans and not order shrimp. We ate at an adorable open-air restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter...it was delicious!

 Nor can you go to the deep south without ordering pecan pie.

 Obviously, we hated it.

While at dinner, we met a man named, get this, Neil O'Neil. True story. This guy is part of a rock opera and invited us to see his show that night. Obviously, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to go to a rock opera! (Think: Forgetting Sarah Marshall). So later that night, we went. And it was amazing. And scary. But mostly amazing.

 This was the opening act: a rapper who's current song is about being player two on a video game...woww

 Don't have a glow stick? There's an app for that.

Slightly terrified.

The next morning, we woke up and took a three-hour bike tour of the city on beach cruisers. SO FUN! I highly recommend you touring with this guy...he did a great job and was so fun! If you do the tour, make sure you choose The Esplanade Avenue of the Creoles. Here are some pictures of our tour: 

 This is an above-ground cemetery. Fun fact: if they would have done a normal under-ground cemetery, it would be 14x as large, covering 1/3 of New Orleans!

 This is a tomb of 30 nuns. Eerie, yet, beautiful.

These gorgeous trees are 600 years old! 

 My beautiful sissy looking out over the Mississippi River.

Sooo many beautiful houses! We thoroughly enjoyed our bike tour! We got back to the hotel, took a nap, and got ready to go out again later that afternoon. We walked out to our car, and quite surprisingly to us, it was no where to be found! First reaction: panic. Second reaction: call the towing company. Fortunately, the car was towed, not stolen. Unfortunately, it cost nearly $200 to retrieve. Oh well, at least it was safe and sound. 

 After recovering from our minor fiasco, we headed back out for the rest of the night. We made a very quick stop at Bourbon Street (which was crazyyyy) where we danced with a drunken old couple (we learned that they were a principal and librarian of a school...HAHA!) Then we spent the rest of the night touring Frenchman Street (where the locals hang out). If you go to New Orleans, make sure you go to Frenchman Street. It's a great way to enjoy the true culture of the French Quarter while ridding yourself of annoying tourists. Overall, we had an awesome time in New Orleans and will truly miss the culture there. It was so unique! 

Tomorrow: we leave the city scene for a day to spend some much needed relaxation at Pensacola Beach in Florida! 

jerry from mississippi

So you're probably wondering why a post on Tuscaloosa, Alabama has Mississippi in its title. Or maybe you weren't wondering that. Either way, rest assured...I'll tell you why.

Sunday morning we left Nashville and traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a 6,000-foot-wide tornado ripped through the town about 9 weeks ago. If you're ever feeling discontent with your belongings...wishing you had this shirt, or that iPod, or those chairs...take a trip to disaster-stricken Alabama. Your attitude will change from discontent to overwhelmingly grateful. Driving through this town is nothing short of devastating - like you're driving through the set of a movie that took place after the bombings of WWII. The town is literally ripped to shreds.

 Yes, those are vending machines. They look like crushed pop cans.

So amidst all of this devastation, it's easy to ask, "Where was God?" right? I thought so at first, but quickly received an answer. God is in every single person who is working to help those who lost every material possession they had. One example is a man named Jerry. This man looked like he was about 60 years old. He and his wife came down from Mississippi and are living in a trailer indefinitely while they help with the restoration of the town. I met him while we were working at a site, shoveling debris that was left of a once-beautiful home. We got to talking and I found out he was a Christian. He was so amazed that my sister and I had chosen to spend our time in Tuscaloosa instead of on a beach in Mexico (haha) and asked if he and his wife could bless us with dinner. After eating PB&J for breakfast and lunch today, that didn't seem like such a bad offer. I quickly replied, "Sure!" We exchanged numbers and parted ways. Once we arrived at our room (a dorm room on the University of Alabama's campus), however, we quickly felt the effects of working in 102 degree heat all day. We loaded our stuff onto a shopping cart (see below), showered, collapsed on our cots, and didn't move for about 3 hours.

 Dinner time came around and Val and I could not muster up the energy to meet Jerry and his wife. I called him to apologize, and explained that we were just too tired to leave the dorm room. PB&Js for the third time today seemed like an okay option at this point. He completely understood, and we ended up talking on the phone for over an hour! To a complete stranger!  Jerry, who looks over 60, is only 46 years old. The stress of losing his 6 year old son is worn all over his face. He shared his faith with me, and his extremely difficult loss which led him to an even greater faith. His little boy was run over while riding his bicycle. As Jerry told me about his life, I sat, listening, with tears streaming down my face. But our conversation wasn't all sad. No, in fact, it was filled with hope. Hope of a Savior who comforts, delivers, and saves. Our conversation ended, and as I hung up the phone, I just started to cry harder, feeling so terrible for denying Jerry the opportunity to bless someone else and spend time with new friends. Val suggested that I call him back and offer to bring breakfast in the morning to his work site. He obliged.

Here's where God's plan kicks in :). So Monday morning we took breakfast to Jerry and his wife. We had a nice conversation and as we were about to leave, Jerry handed me some money, saying, "Please take this for the bagels and juice." My sister and I refused over and over, but we could tell he was getting offended, so we took it. Unbeknownst to us, it was a $100 bill. What!? After arguing and refusing again and again, his wife suggested, "If you won't take it for yourselves, give it to your church."

Well. Our church is currently raising money to send 100,000 meals to children in Nicaragua. "I could donate the money to that cause," I thought. So we ended up taking the money, sharing hugs, and leaving for New Orleans. On our way, I called Pastor Steve. When I told him we got the $100 donation, he reminded me that $100 feeds 400 starving children. FOUR HUNDRED. God is so good!! In my little mind, I was so sad that I had denied someone the opportunity to bless two people. But God's plan was so much bigger!! As a result...he blessed FOUR HUNDRED. Praise Jesus!

Jerry and his wife :).

So I learned something while here in Tuscaloosa. God's Word implores, "Do not store up your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy. Instead, store up your treasures in Heaven." It's not about the stuff. That can be whisked away in a heartbeat. Our valuables lay in relationships, both with our Lord and the people in our lives. These treasures are eternally safe from moth, rust, and even the worst tornadoes.

Goodbye Tuscaloosa. Thank you for your life lessons! Tomorrow: New Orleans, LA!

saint jesse

Have you ever known someone, briefly or for a long period of time, who changed your life just by the way they lived theirs? Jesse was one of those people for me. 

Saturday morning, we woke up and traveled to West Nashville where we were to spend the day serving the homeless. This was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of our trip. We spent the whole day working at a food pantry and serving wonderful people who, for a multitude of different reasons, needed an extra hand. We met some incredible people, but our personal favorite was a man named Jesse. Val and I took Jesse out to lunch after serving at the food pantry, and our 3 hour long conversation opened my eyes to a beautiful life. Jesse lives under a bridge in West Nashville. He's a diabetic. He was stabbed and left for dead. His father was a pastor. He's got a smile that could light up a room. All of these facts tell you a little bit about Jesse, but sit down with him for 5 minutes and you'll learn so much more. His life is a miracle. This man certainly should not be alive...but the Lord has sustained him through near-death experiences over and over again. Jesse's knowledge of the Word could shame most "Christians" in our country. He lives with such a raw faith. He knows his Jesus and loves Him like crazy. I could go into major detail with the story of how the Lord saved his life, but I don't want to turn this post into a novel. Long story short, he was stabbed, left for dead, and having a diabetic attack. Somehow, scratch that...through the Grace of God, he was taken to the hospital by a nephew who just HAPPENED to be in the area at the time of the stabbing. Jesse was slit from his neck to his belly button. Again, by the grace of God, the only doctor in the United States who could perform the surgery he needed just happened to be in the hospital visiting a friend. Jesse's life was saved and I can see why...he shines the light of Jesus wherever he goes. His faith rocked me. Am I truly living out my faith, the way Jesus intended - by sitting comfortably on my couch in 73 degree AC, typing a blog on my computer? Or does Jesus call us to get dirty? To get our hands muddy with the baggage and filth of each others' lives? Just something to think about. 

The road trip could have ended here and we both would have been satisfied. But we had much more to see and do. After checking out Music Row and the Grand Ole Opry, we went into the city that night for a "Taste of Nashville" party where they shut down a street and open up a bunch of tents for local vendors. Live bands played music as we sipped cold beer...ahhh what could be better? 

On our way back home, we passed many musicians hoping for their chance to be heard. 

Goodnight, Nashville. We'll miss you! Tomorrow, we're headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama! 

$10 helicopter ride? why not!

Day 2: Gatlinburg, TN and Nashville!
We woke up early Friday morning and drove to Gatlinburg, TN. Our dear friend, Candace, suggested we hit this town on the way to Nashville. We're so glad we did! It's an adorable, quaint little town full of candy shops and little touristy stores. The plethora of cheesy t-shirts is enough to entertain you for hours. We walked around the town for a few hours after making a delicious lunch of PB&J with bananas.

Oops, almost forgot to mention getting extremely lost on the way to Gatlinburg. The GPS took us through the most remote mountain towns I've ever seen. Have you seen the movie Deliverance? If so, then you can accurately picture what we experienced. I am both thankful and surprised we did not get eaten by some creepy mountainmen. However, during this experience, we were graced with a beautiful scene and I just HAD to get out of the car and take a couple pictures. 

Beautiful, isn't it?!

So on our way out of Gatlinburg, we passed a sign that read, "Helicopter tours, $10 for anyone!" Obviously, we had to make a ridiculous U-Turn and check it out. Sure enough, we were able to take a helicopter tour for ten bucks! (Fine print: a $10 ride lasts 2 minutes. A $200 ride lasts 30 minutes. We chose the 2 minute ride.) Even though it only lasted 2 minutes, it was two of the coolest minutes of our road trip!!

After our ride, we set off for the remainder of our trip to Nashville. Our first night in Nashville was a little rough: the room reeked of cigarette smoke and our motel was for-sure in the ghetto (proof: stray dogs, bullet proof windows, and a waffle house). Either way, we made the most of it and headed to Broadway for dinner and honky-tonks. Broadway is the street where aspiring musicians go to play - either in the bars or on the streets. Definitely visit this place if you want to hear phenomenal music of all kinds...though a majority of it will be, surprise surprise, country. Although Val insisted that we listen to Tim McGraw at all times in the car, and country music typically makes me want to puke, it was a blast!!