See our explorations of the city, the non stop music, the worksite, and the Lower Ninth Ward.
Author: Adam Gojanovich
It’s always good to come home when you go away, but it was with a heavy heart that I left New Orleans this morning. It was a time to meet many amazing new friends, to experience life like I haven’t in a long time, and to breathe deep a beautiful and unique city — one that still needs a lot of help.
This morning we laid concrete. Sidewalk. Driveway. Walkway. Landing. And it was awesome.
I can’t remember being this exhausted, this sunburnt, or this happy. It’s been a great two days on site here, and we are looking forward to two more.
Avery, the site coordinator stopped by at lunch time to thank us for ten years of service, and present Berklee with a certificate of thanks, which we will bear home with pride. We have been told that we may get the chance to meet the owners of the house we are working on, and we look forward to the opportunity of meeting one of the individuals in need of our help.
We arrived safely in New Orleans, collected from the airport by the decade loyal Berklee cab driver Mo, and delivered to the French Quarter. We took the opportunity to wonder around and explore the mixed majesty that is the area around Bourbon Street — glorious old architecture that has survived the test of time, coupled with sadly diminished buildings in desperate need of help.
The paint-peeled shutters and crumbling buildings on every street present a spectacle of beauty in their own right, and yet are a reminder of why we have traveled over 1500 miles to lend our hands in rebuilding this amazing keystone in American Art and History. The anticipation of what comes next is palpable, as we wait to find how Habitat for Humanity can benefit from the humble but willing hands of out Gracenotes team.
Tomorrow, we get the privilege of exploring the Big Easy further, to gain a deeper appreciation of the great American town that we break ground in Wednesday morning.