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12/8/2014

Louisiana was a French territory purchased by the United States in 1803. As I began my journey through the beautiful state, pelicans gracefully glided across the sky. It happened to be their state bird. This bird was also chosen to be the mascot of the professional basketball team based out of New Orleans. I saw the fleur de lis symbol everywhere as well. The French influence was firmly imbedded into the state. The surname on many signs ended with eux. Even the first words I read were “Bienvenue en Louisiane”, Welcome to Louisiana. Louisiana a multicultural, multilingual heritage, was also strongly influenced by a mixture of 18th-century French, Spanish, Native American, and African cultures.

The night at the abandoned market was very quiet except for the croaking frogs...

12/6/2014

I woke up many hours before West Orange Stark Elementary began their classes. I wanted to have a smooth event. When I looked out of the trailer a heavy fog sat on the ground. Cold beads of water formed on my skin and I quickly closed the door. I sat inside sipping on a hot chocolate and planned what I would say to the kids. I always arrive at school events early. On day 96 the guidance system directed me to the district administration office which was several miles away from the school. I ended up arriving to the school at exactly 8:30.

I ran right into an amphitheater full of eager young minds. All eyes were on me and I had to jump right into the speaking and reading. From the moment I began the classes were a flurry of second, third, fourth, and fifth graders...

12/4/2014

Day 94 was one of those days that passed very quickly. I broke out a new pair of shoes to take some stress off my joints. The bottoms of the new sneakers felt hard at first but after a few miles of wear, the comfort kicked in. Just as I began to bond with my footwear, I stumbled upon Crystal. She had found a charming little Mexican restaurant that wanted to help support our cause. We were given enchiladas made with red tortillas. Typically enchiladas are a tad salty but these were perfect. Of course I judge Mexican restaurants by the chips and salsa. The owner started us off with light fresh tortilla chips with a sweet and spicy salsa. I wasn’t sure if my proximity to Louisiana affected my taste buds but, I swore I tasted a Cajun influence...