I got up a little earlier than usual this morning so Bonnie could take me to the airport. My flight didn't leave until 9:25, but she dropped me off a little after 7:00 so she could get home and get Joe to school. I checked my big suitcase and got through the TSA line with only one minor hiccup - I dropped my boarding pass just before entering the metal detector. I only panicked for a second or two before a TSA employee found it for me.
The flight to Chicago for my layover was on a small regional jet (American Eagle). Holy crap those planes are small! There are 3 seats to a row. One on the left, then a little tiny isle way and then 2 on the right. I was seated in the single seat side. The flight was a little bumpy, but not too bad.
When we got into Chicago, it was raining. After finding the gate to my connecting flight, I got something to eat and began my 4 hour wait until my flight left. Ugh.
I was on the window again for the flight to Chicago, and it was a good flight. I listened to some podcasts on the iPod to pass the time.
Once we landed, I got my suitcase from the baggage claim and hopped the bus to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I had reserved a car for the week at a decent rate. About $244 for the week. But they didn't have the type of car (Premium) that gave me the best rate. So they upgraded me. Boy did they give me an upgrade. A Mercedes ML 350! What! I'm going to be driving THAT to the lower 9th ward every day. I better keep it clean!
After figuring out how to get the on-board navigation working, I headed into downtown New Orleans to find someplace to buy a pillow. I never found anything, so I just headed for Camp Hope. Camp Hope is an elementary school that was converted into dormitories. I had to drive through some of the affected neighborhoods on the way here. You see these images on TV of the destruction, but it doesn't have nearly the impact of when you see it in person.
I saw a Wal Mart, figured I would go in and get my pillow, until I realized it was all boarded up. Almost every business in the St. Bernard Parish area is gone. Closes. Gutted stores. Boarded up windows.
Some things seem to be back in full swing, like gas stations and smaller businesses, but all the big ones like Wal Mart, Home Deport, K Mart - are gone. Very surreal.
I got into camp hope and checked in. They're doing the best they can, I am sure, but it is kind of crummy. It's "clean" but not that clean. And here I am pulling up in a Mercedes Benz. I feel like an idiot.
My room is an old classroom. There are a whole bunch of home made bunk beds (2x4's glued and screwed together with plywood bases). There are quite a few people in there. Haven't met any of them yet.
Our orientation was help at 8PM local time. A woman who had come down here to volunteer back in 2006 for a week (and never left - she bought a house in St. Bernard Parish and it's almost ready to move into) gave the orientation. Mostly it was about camp rules, being in by 10PM, quiet time, meal hours, etc.
There were quite a few return visitors and quite a few younger folks from Americorps. I would have to say, it was probably about 30% folks over 30. The people I was sitting with were at least in their 50s and this was not their first time here!
My assignment for tomorrow is in the Musician's Village. I have to be there by 7:45 AM, which means I need to leave the camp by 7:00 AM. Maybe I'll get lucky and the shower I take won't be one of the cold ones I have been hearing about.