On my social media accounts I call myself a Texan at heart. But I cannot lie, Louisiana has a piece of it now too.
See the thing is, once you live somewhere for seven plus years and your kids grow up there (here) and you grow attached to the people and the culture the food, well… things just happen.
The city of Lafayette in particular is full of little surprises and amazing things. From some of THE best king cake ever (Keller’s), to hidden gems like “the old horse farm”, where the kids and I spend a lot of outdoor time.
The lifestyle here is pretty laid back and the people are extremely friendly. Except maybe when driving on *cough* Johnston Street *cough*. People are VERY family oriented here too. So many of my friends left for a while (after high school) and are now back to live near their family. I am still looking for a family to adopt me. Especially since apparently the best gumbo is made by everyone’s mama, and I don’t have one of those here! HA!
Louisiana itself has much more to offer as a state than I think most people realize. I will admit, I did not give the state much credit for anything before I lived here. I knew of New Orleans just because of friends in college who went to Mardi Gras, and then Katrina, but I had no idea what a cool place it was before I moved here. I did not really know about beignets until then either, and that’s just sad.
There is also a lot to do here if you love to be outdoors. One of the state’s tag lines is “sportsman’s paradise”, and even though that kind of thing isn’t really my thing, I get it. And there are so many festivals. Because there is always a reason to hear good music and eat good food outside, under enormous oak trees.
Since I have lived here I have also learned to speak “Cajun”. There are still times when I hear a word and I’m like “what???”, but for the most part I now know the lingo. A lot of that has to do with the area where I live, Acadiana. Not everyone in New Orleans knows what a “meenoo” is, but most people around here do (it’s a cat, by the way). Louisiana actually has a very diverse and interesting culture and the northern part of the state is much different than the southern areas.
It’s not too bad living only about a 7 hour drive to some of the most beautiful beaches in our country too (the panhandle of Florida).
Sometimes it is hard for me to admit that I have such an affinity for another state, but it’s also hard to deny how great a town I live in, here in Lafayette. The size is great, the people are better and the food is phenomenal. Not to mention I adore where my kids go to school and the community in general. And my friends… oh wow, such good friends.
So here’s to making this place my home. I think I’ve done a pretty good job since moving here in July of 2009.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
