I'm still here.

Hey, remember when I used to blog?

For the past month or so I have been literally all over the United States. Right now, I am in New Orleans, LA. I have eaten fried, spicy fish to my heart's content, and I still have three more days. I'm not sure my cholesterol can handle it. Mike is joining me here tomorrow for our first real "away" since becoming short distance. In February we will be heading to St. Louis for his mother's birthday, and there stands a chance that I will be in Hawaii come March for our trauma conference. Oh, and did I mention I went to NH, MA, and NYC for Christmas break?

I'd like to talk about jet lag. I get it. Bad. I have been here since Tuesday and I am still all wacked out on what time it is. I stay up until 2 (12 in CA) and can't sleep when I'm finally in bed.

It is also cold in New Orleans. Of course, I am traveling the one weekend the ENTIRE country is engulfed by a cold spell. Except, ironically enough, for Southern California. They are experiencing higher temperatures than normal! Oh well.

New Orleans, by the way, is still recovering. It is really humbling to walk down the street and see the water lines well above my little 5'3" head. There are closed shops everywhere, and it lacks the hustle and bustle I'm told used to define New Orleans. I have not even approached the worst of it, as I'm staying on Magazine St. It must anger many former and current residents of the city that our outgoing president feels that everything right happened here. From everything I've been told, New Orleans is a shell of it's former self. Everyone has a story though, and New Orleans has definitely not lost its flavor. I have not had a bad or even mediocre meal since I've been here. I am looking very forward to experiencing this city with Mike.

I cannot complain about having to travel often. I can't afford to travel on my own right now, so the fact that I get to travel relatively often for work is a nice bonus, especially since I didn't think I'd be traveling for my position. In this upcoming year, I know I will be doing some more traveling. The traveling will only increase the longer I am at my job. Hopefully my salary will too, so that I can start traveling for pleasure again.

So I apologize for the lack of updates. I still need to post about my time at home, but I'm on a random computer in the lobby of a hotel in New Orleans - and I think it is about time I get some real sleep, so that I can spend my weekend boosting their tourism income just a little. :)