Our first day!

Today was our first day in New Orleans and I can already tell that this will be a great and rewarding experience!

Today I experienced a mixture of emotions ranging from sadness to anger to disappointment and to hope. During our tour of the lower ninth I truly realized how devastating the hurricane was. I was very shocked and sad at how empty and abandoned the neighborhood is. I expected it to be a lot more lively than it is and for there to be many construction projects. I was also very disappointed to learn that many of the homeowners who decided to live elsewhere (many who were denied help from the government) are being fined for not keeping their properties clean.

Despite all of these devastating things, I am glad to know that there are many people in New Orleans who have a lot of hope.

I am looking forward to our first day of work tomorrow!