So what’s happened
Well New Orleans came and went. How do I feel about the trip? Mixed. I had some fun… and also made good work contacts. I was a good girl, no bar fights, no going home with a stranger…. however, I did drink quite a bit. The thing about NOLA and in particular, Bourbon street, which was just inches from my hotel, is that drinking is the Number 1 activity. All day, all night people are drinking in the streets. There is bar, after bar, after bar. Music, people, tons of action. The streets essentially smell like a frat party and the next day certainly looks like it too with the many littered plastic cups, big sippy bottles emptied of their frozen alcoholic slushy, beads, feathers and mess. When you look at it at a high level, it’s just down right gross. In fact, the first day I was like, ew, why do people do this… but then I started getting the “well, when in Rome” mentality and I started to enjoy the loud music, the annoying crazy drunks and the stench - well you can just get used to it after a few days. Needless to say, all was going well until my last day.
NOLA is one of those cities close enough to the border of time zones that honestly I kept forgetting it was an hour behind. I had in my mind, get up, pack, check out, go do the souvenir shopping and be at the airport by 330. Once the plan was in my mind, I never questioned it. I should have because I did a double wrong calculation - which actually should have made me earlier but heck, I had a few drinks. The shopping was fine but then I thought, one more pit stop for a bite and drink. And then Jason walked in… Jason, my favorite name in the whole world. Jason, my age, kind of good looking, starts conversation - about the one-woman singer who is singing all our favorite tunes.
Jason talks exactly the way I would - he’s like me, only a guy. I am in instant connection and he even says, darn, it sucks you are leaving today, we could hang out. I bet my unconscious mind took over at this point. That and my food was taking forever but the time was ticking and I hardly paid attention. Finally, my food came and some little bit of sense hit me. Jason gives me his number anyway (just in case) and off I fly to get my bags and hop an Uber. It’s now 330, and when I should be there… no Ubers. I am. panicked. I run to the front desk asking if they know why there are no Ubers. For one, I should have realized it was the last day of the conference and everyone in Gods green earth is leaving NOLA. That’s about 30K people who were at my conference. I ask what to do, and she, who is actually a he says they can call a cab but it will take 30 minutes. But she warns on top of it, they get rush hour starting at 4, 430 and that will set me back another 45 minutes so we are now talking essentially an hour and half which is way too long. After fumbling with a half-active brain I make the call… I am going to miss my flight, book another room, stay, get drunk and call Jason. The ramifications of leaving the next day hadn’t hit me yet as I am forgetting that I have calls from 10-6pm straight with no breaks.. how did I even think I’d make this work? Meanwhile, the stupid margarita, or cosmo or beer I drank because it’s all a blur in NOLA is clouding any positive thoughts at this point so I sheepishly return to the desk, and fortunately get back another room for the night.
I book another flight, luckily there was even one available the next day… again, not thinking out the full plan but figuring, if I have to cancel calls, so be it. I unpack only the minimum and figure - head back out, no use sitting here wallowing in my error. Plus, I have Jason to text. I send him a note and he says he just got checked into his hotel… a half an hour away. I was like, why are you staying that far from here? I asked myself that, not him. Regardless I thought, he’d be a fool to return so I set myself up anyway to have fun. I knew my mistake was made by poor decision to not stay on top of the time but have a few drinks and float like I didn’t care. I decided - get my tarot cards read, that will help. On Bourbon and the surrounding streets random “psychics” sit about with a little table and their cards. I met a lovely young woman with a few random piercings. While my reading was pretty spot on… it only gave me a good and bad vibe. Needless to say, I went back to enjoy the music of the local bars and laugh at people. There are plenty of characters. Even was approached by 2 guys, who didn’t know each other but we sort of all three hung out. One ended up leaving, thank goodness because he looked like a creep while the other stayed and even proposed hooking up. He told me he and his wife swing. I was like, no, you probably don’t…but that is one way to try to get some when you already showed me a. picture of her when we first started chatting. Why do men do that… oh look, here’s my pretty wife… now will you make out with me? Sick. I returned to my room safely - knowing my mother would kill me even though I’m 46 years old for the debacle. The next day, all I can say was nightmare. From the airport, to trying to work, to the delays. One of the most stressful days of my life. I will.. never… miss a flight again.
