All I ever wanted. Gaycation, had to get away!
Now that The Go-Go’s are out of my head—and probably stuck in yours!—I can start settling into the idea that our annual week off in New Orleans is just around the corner. And I think it’s safe to say, like most years, we are more than ready. Not that we’ve been the homosexual shut-ins this year. But this will be our first opportunity to truly unplug, even if that means sweating through multiple shirts every day.
Not that we’re unprepared for that. There’s something nice about this not being our first time. However, given that we know how rough the weather can be every year, including the possibility of a hurricane (which happened once), you would think we would opt for someplace just a bit cooler. P-town perhaps. Or the Russian River. Somewhere just as interesting but without the heat and the potential for flooding.
Plus, I know vacation spots exist that don’t have that unique French Quarter funk.
Yet we are drawn here every year at the end of summer—like moths to a flamer—when we know full well Halloween and even St. Patrick’s Day can be just as fun. So what makes going back this time of year so important?
We could say Southern Decadence, which drew us there in the first place. However, over the last 25 years, visiting is more about who we see and the places we go. We do enjoy the events—don’t get me wrong—and the familiarity of the city. But it’s also about seeing the familiar faces each year.
Randy. Tony. Jeremy. Jason. Bob. The other Bob. Troy. Andy. Peter. Blaine. Robb. Just to name a few. And we get to meet new people whenever we go. Like Mike from North Dakota or Leo from Las Vegas. And even though we often only see each other at Decadence, it’s like no time has passed. We’re just as excited to see one another as the year before.
Then there are the places to see. Our post-breakfast Thursday morning usually involves walking Royal Street to check in on the galleries, see what’s new, see if there is a piece of art we just cannot resist, and admittedly enjoying some AC. I always want to pop into Bevolo to check out the copper gas lanterns and see what’s happening in the shop. Stroll through Jackson Square. And I know one day we’ll get back to the Garden District.
But aside from the people and places—and the food (Laura’s Candies has made I don’t know how much from our visits every year)—this turns out to be the one time of year we feel we can disconnect from work. We take our laptops just to be safe. However, in the time we’ve spent at Decadence, I haven’t had a client or contractor call or text me. I think they know I’m unlikely to give them a coherent answer after a certain point in the day.
Unfortunately for James, he has had to hop on one or two conference calls. So not a complete unplug, which is fine. I am happy to leave him in the room to chat with the office. He knows which bar he can find me in when he’s done. It’ll be the one with the best air conditioning and with the least smell.
