This past weekend for fall break I went to New Orleans with my family to visit my sweet grandfather and to have a memorial and celebrate my grandmother's wonderful life. I love everything about New Orleans from the people, the amazingly delicious food, the great little boutiques for shopping, and of course seeing my family and close friends. In a sense New Orleans is my home away from home. My grandfather still lives in the house that my mother grew up in so all through out my childhood I have made countless memories there with not only my sister but also my first cousins that are close in age with me. Even though we were coming down on this weekend to have a memorial for my grandmother, that did not stop my family from still having a good time and experiencing everything New Orleans has to offer. On the first day we got their, we went shopping on Magazine and Plum Street (close to Tulane's campus) as well as got snow cones at the famous Plum Street Snowballs which is a tradition between my sister and cousins to go. After a day out on the town we came home to a giant pot of red beans and rice that my grandfather had cooked and so we sat down all together at the dining room table and ate until we just could not eat anymore. The next day, Saturday, was the day of the memorial. With heavy hearts we went to church early in the morning to set up the flowers and reception area. The memorial was lovely and one thing that stood out to me was from the poem that my cousin read and it said "She is gone from my sight but not from my mind" this is so very true to remember that when our loved ones pass away they are never truly gone but are now just in our mind's and in our heart's. It gives me peace knowing that she is still with me. The reception after was wonderful and we then went all back to the house to have a nap and an afternoon walk to the gelato store. For dinner everyone had jambalaya and stayed up all night drinking wine and talking about the good times with my grandmother as well as good times we have shared with one another. Family means everything to me so it touched my heart to everyone's faces because that does not happen often. My sister and I grabbed pastries from the bakery on the corner for breakfast and made our way back to Starkville. Another weekend in New Orleans in the books, another memory to put in my mind to think on, another good party with my family. Till next time New Orleans.