From crawfish boils to parades for every occasion:
The crescent city never fails to entertain or provide a study escape

The choice to go anywhere:

One of the main reasons I chose New Orleans as my college destination was knowing it has a completely different culture (and weather!) than the one I was so used to growing up. I've heard so many say that Nola is like stepping into a different country, and in some regards, this is very true. Creole life, the infamous French Quarter, and jazz music make it such a unique place to be for college. Also, it isn't every day that in your freshman year the city's football team not only wins the Super Bowl, but happens to do so right in the middle of carnival season- where even the homeless could be heard yelling WHO DAT instead of asking for change (not to mention getting a day off of school for it!).   Spring has come to be my favorite time of the year at Tulane due to the wonderful 70 degree weather and of course... Mardi Gras! Here are some of my favorite pictures from my past two years of carnival celebrations:

 

The community:

Another thing I love about New Orleans is how many opportunities there are to get involved with the community. The city is always in need of a volunteer's helping hand to make Nola a better place for everyone, especially after Katrina. It has made me extremely happy that there have been so many opportunities on and off campus to help out.  In high school I was always willing to help, but wasn't sure where or how. In New Orleans, Tulane,  the wonderful non-profits, and community service organizations have all made it really easy to get involved with all different kinds of projects. Here are some of my favorite pictures from events and service projects I have helped with so far :)

Martin Luther King Day 2011 : New Orleans Mission homeless shelter