Happy Monday! Things are frenzied as I gear up for my trip to Europe. I can't believe that this trip and September are already right here! But before I leave, I'll be sharing all about my trip down south to NOLA this past weekend.

New Orleans has always been lingering around the top of my U.S. travel bucket list. From what I had heard and seen, it's a vibrantly colorful city full of culture, soul, and food like you couldn't imagine. Well, now that I'm here, I can definitely say that it holds true to that exact description.

The city is really the most extreme juxtaposition of new and old that I've ever seen in any one place. 10 years after Katrina, they are still rebuilding, slowly but surely. There is some argument that the rebuilding has geared more towards gentrification rather than restoring the classic feel of the city, but I think it's a nice blend of what makes the city special.

My friends had recommended so many places from what to eat to where to explore, that I was a bit overwhelmed with what to do. I started out by just throwing down a ton of saved stars on my Google Maps to bookmark everything everyone had recommended. From there, I figured I would navigate my way and allow myself to get lost along the way. It's the best way to really get a feel for a city, and I still do this in NYC. 

I'll be sharing my favorite eats, drinks, and places in separate posts so I don't ramble on too long, but for now, I'll leave you with some other snapshots from Day 1:

Have you ever been to New Orleans? What are your favorite places in the city?