I have lived in the dirty BR for almost 12 years.
For many of you, 12 years is nothing. You have lived here all your life. However, for me, this is a painfully long time.
I moved around a lot when I was growing up. From Virginia to Germany to Connecticut to Chicago, you name it; I’ve probably been there at least once.
The above are just the places I’ve lived. This list does not include my many travel destinations.
So, naturally, when I arrived in Baton Rouge, I was expecting big things.
Reaction number one — not so good.
Before I arrived in Louisiana, I was baffled by the thought of mild, comfortable weather yearlong. But, I was even more dumbfounded when my mild, comfortable weather turned into a humid, sticky swamp.
Strike one.
Reaction number two — even worse than before.
School, up to this point, had gone well for me. I had friends and managed to have a pretty typical childhood while living up north.
Louisiana had other ideas.
“Do you like El Es Shu?” asked the first person I met in my third grade class.
I responded, “What’s El Es Shu?”
You can imagine the ugly scenario that followed. Strike two — downhill from there.
Reaction number three — an overreaction.
Now that I was REALLY comfortable here, I found something I did manage to like — the food.
Of course, I liked it a little too much and gained some [a lot] of weight.
Now that I was a beastly social outcast, it was time to settle in.
I stayed that way for years. I always wondered what my life would have been like had I stayed in the North.
I didn’t want to take the time to appreciate my surroundings because I longed to move away from the place that had officially made me sweaty, fat and hated.
Then I grew up a little.
Naturally, I grew out of my “ugly” stage and began making friends, stopped complaining and saw what Louisiana had to offer.
Soon, I found an amazing place that had captivated its residents and managed to set the bar for laid back, “no cares in the world” fun.
By letting the stereotype of Baton Rouge and the surrounding area go, I found a state that actually has some cool things to do.
Now, I know Baton Rouge is not the place to be more often than not. But, I encourage you to find your niche here.
Whether it’s as close as the University lakes for a picnic or as far as the Abita Beer Factory in Abita Springs [highly recommended], you definitely can find something to do on a random weekend.
Go to Grande Isle. Just do it. It’s only two and something hours from Baton Rouge and if you’ve never been there, it’s pretty cool.
It’s no Destin, but it’ll do.
Head to New Orleans. There is more to do in New Orleans than the French Quarter. I suggest Camelia Grill, which is uptown. The waiters are hilarious and the food is awesome.
The Tabasco plant on Avery Island is a pretty interesting place. Hey! It’s only the most popular condiment after salsa and ketchup. [Shut up. That’s a pretty big deal.]
Anyway, those are just a few quick suggestions.
So, I realize Tigerland gets old. I realize you only can go to dinner and a movie so many times in a semester. But just try to see beyond the norm for once.
And if you hate Louisiana like I did, here’s some advice: Get over it because it only gets worse. And, never ask what “El Es Shu” is.