Well, when I began my adventure to New Orleans I was told by a few people I should start a blog detailing all of my experiences. I wish I wouldve done it sooner because lord have I had some experiences. Though, I will try to compile this past month into this first blog post. BEWARE: It will probably get excruciatingly long.
This whole experience began last summer, but even before that when I was a wee one. I think every little girl goes through a phase where they want to be Shamu's handler at Sea World. I was always facinated with marine life, especially dolphins, but I gave up on that dream a long time ago when I thought one would have to go into marine biology, and I am not a fan of the natural sciences (well, I wasnt a fan, now I am). Last summer my boyfriend at the time and I went to Discovery Cove (a division of Sea World) and swam with Dolphins. This was actually my third time experiencing this, as my father had taken me twice before (I think twice, but maybe just once....dad?) I highly suggest this place, it is an absolute amazing experience. While we were swimming with the dolphins and having the time of our lives, I asked one of the trainers what kind of degrees most of them had, to my shock she said most of them had Psychology degrees and were all certified scuba divers. From that moment, it was on, I just HAD to attempt something like this.
From about my junior year in high school until the few months before college graduation I had decided I wanted to be an adolescent psychologist. I wanted to help troubled teens. Teens especially struggling with the split up of a family through divorce, but any teen having trouble with any problem. Then came my last semester of college when I had the "oh shit" moment I'm sure everyone has. My head was spinning and I didnt know what I wanted to do any longer. Did I even want to be in psychology? And if not then what? Im still struggling with this....maybe struggling isnt quite a powerful enough word...battling...having a war with...you get the picture.
Moving on. Sometime after my return from vacation, it couldve been a day, a month, a few months, I have no clue...I did some research (Im only guessing I did research, I really have absolutely no idea how I gained contact information or even got the idea to hit up the Audubon in New Orleans...) but somehow I emailed someone at the Audubon Institute in New Orleans and told them I was a Psychology major and was extremely interested in Animal Behaviorism and was wondering if they had any internship positions that fit my interests. I got an email back telling me YES! We do have internships! and YES! We do have animal behaviorism with our two sea otters!! My heart was racing, could this really be possible? Months later around March I got an email saying I needed to send in my resume (because they had already asked once, and i never did) and that they would be conducting interviews soon. I eventually threw together a resume (I had never needed one before, I worked the same job all through college) and sent it off. I got an email response saying that since I was in Shreveport they would be more than happy to do a phone interview. So one Thursday while I was at work, I went out to my car in the parking garage and waited for the phone call - the first "grown up" interview I had ever done. There were three people on the phone with me, and I was so nervous I was turning beat red in my car, even though these people couldnt see me. I did the phone interview, and walked back into my office and told everyone I totally kicked that interviews ass. I had never been more proud of myself in my entire life, I really knew I kicked that interviews ass. Unfortunately they told me it would be three weeks before they got back to me, because they still had another week of interviews. Even though I knew I did so well in the interview, I really didnt expect to get the job. They knew that A LOT had to happen for me to pick up my life and move to New Orleans. I figured they would take the easy route and hire someone who already lived in New Orleans, considering I was the only applicant not from the New Orleans area, BUT I was also the only applicant with a psychology major as opposed to a natural science major. But, I had to find a paying job (the internship...doesnt pay), I had to find a house, I had to get the internship in the first place!!
Well, a few weeks later comes and its Wednesday, Im bummed I havent heard anything from New Orleans...Im convinced I dont have the job...Im headed to class and have a friend's song stuck in my head...the lyric "dream on, dream on, you little fool" is playing on repeat in my head. I get out of class, I'm walking to my car and my phone begins to ring, its a 504 area code and I nearly peed my pants. I answered the phone, and the curator begins to tell me I have gotten the internship and they would love to have me whenever I'm ready. She also tells me that they know I need a paying job and have hooked me with "Amazing Photos" the booth of people that take your picture around the aqaurium. As soon as she tells me these things I hear nothing more that comes out of her mouth. I am completely honest and tell her that shes going to have to email me details because I cant comprehend anymore considering she has just told me I'm moving to New Orleans within the next two months and now my life is more completely upside down than it already was (I had just recently broken up with someone who I thought I would spend my life with, and one of the most important people in my life, my Grandmother, had just left this world way, way too soon). Kristine (the curator) was laughing and completely understood and said she would send me details, and that was that.
I checked the dates on this through my email, and it looks like I got the internship on May 5th. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened April 20th. Prior to this disaster, I could email Audubon and get a response within 20 minutes. After this, 7+ days. So I received an email on the 5th with all the details, blah blah blah. After sending them three emails, with different questions, about a week later I got an email saying they were ready for me whenever I could come down. I believe this was on a Thursday. So, I decided, school let out the next day, and I would head to New Orleans on Monday. So, in three days, I packed up what was at my old apartment, and what was at my moms, crammed it all in my car, unpacked it due to forgetting about Samson (my child...my dog..) and my neice and I re-packed the car.
Here is a view of my car from the driver's seat. Yes, that is a griddle on top! (my house doesnt have a stove! I know..pick your jaw up off the floor, its strange.)I headed to New Orleans on Monday, May 14, 2010. I had no clue what I was doing.
I had so many emotions running through and was so worried that I would leave something...that I forgot to gas up my car on the way out of Shreveport. Now, once you get about 30 minutes outside of Shreveport, youre pretty screwed on gas stations. When do you my gas light came on and I realized the mistake I had made? About 45 minutes outside of Shreveport. I was so terrified that I would run out of gas that I immediately had my brand spanken new GPS find me a gas station. Of course, there were none near and it detoured me to Coushatta. On my lovely drive to Coushatta, I'm driving behind a truck - no huge truck, just a typical Ford F150 or something of the sort...and there are some birds in the road - Vultures or something like it. I see said birds, and I think nothing of it - birds ALWAYS move out of the way when cars are coming. There were three birds. As we get closer they all start to fly away. One of them didnt move fast enough and BOOM feathers and carcass everywhere. I make it to a gas station, and then head back to find i49 and get back on the road after my ridiculously long detour...i immediately call my mom "Mom, im an hour and a half into my drive and ive already almost run out of gas (i litterally had 1mile left to go before I wouldve been walking to a gas station, hitchhiking, or calling someone to try and describe where the hell i was at) and i saw a vulture get pummeled by a truck." When I told this story to my Uncle, he's the one who suggested that I blog my way through this experience (thanks Uncle Dennis, I think youve created a monster considering how long this already is.)
And you know what, on that note - i shall leave you all with the image of a truck creaming into a vulture and feathers flying everywhere all the while Im screaming at my GPS that it better be taking me to a legitimate gas station.
Its late, and ive got to study some, and hit the sack, have to go see my buddies bright and early @ 7:30am tomorrow...
I doubt anyone can read this sign, but it says "welcome to coushatta"
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