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Thursday, May 25. Posted by Sara Almqvist.
I came to Atlanta about nine months ago as a shy Swede
struggling with my two big suitcases. When I leave Atlanta I will be
an assertive Swedish-American, partly due to my New Orleans
experience.
A big part of this trip consisted of just putting your mind to
sleep and expressing compassion through the work of your hands.
Working hard for that week made me ponder the benefits of manual
labor. I believe that manual labor is the cure for many of modern
society’s plagues such as hyperactivity, depression, lack of energy
and sleep disorders. The latter was proven when it only took about
20 seconds to fall asleep when I closed my eyes in my camp bed.
The most rewarding work experience was to tear down walls; the
feeling was that of an adrenaline rush. I think wall tearing would
be a good activity for computer addicted teenagers; their parents
can tear them away from “World of Warcraft” and present them with
mission “terminate the house.”
New Orleans is a city with gorgeous architecture, a vibrant
cultural heritage and unique food and music. Its atmosphere rivals
those of great European cities.
Through media I had reached the conclusion that the residents of
New Orleans preferred to move to places where the job market is at
its peak. However, spending time in Louisiana, I discovered that
although the inhabitants lack necessities such as water, schools and
electricity many residents have already returned and more will come.
I also discovered that hard work will break down your “social”
personality; all your politeness will be washed away with the mold
and your true self will come out. When the facade is gone you can
start learning about your weaknesses and how you can turn them into
strengths
If you want to discover the joy of knocking down walls, enjoy an
amazing city or learn more about yourself and your friends, sign up
for the next trip down to New Orleans!
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