I apologize to the State Louisiana for my ignorance! I admit I have never been to Louisiana before because I stereotyped. I stereotyped New Orleans with its French Quarter and raucous Mardi Gras. Now I see that I was mistaken. It’s been years since I missed out!
Are you like me?You should give Louisiana a second look if all you know is Mardi Gras or Hurricane Katrina, or Emeril’s “BAM!” Louisianans know how to enjoy life. The five happiest American cities are all in Louisiana. Lafayette is the number one city, followed by Houma and Shreveport.
But you don’t need to believe me. Brian Williams from NBC says it best:
What makes Louisiana so happy?
Lucky me! I spent an entire week in Southwest Louisiana, discovering what makes this place so happy. This is what I discovered, in no particular sequence.
1. Louisianians embrace their heritage.
Louisianians embrace the heritage they have inherited in a world that encourages conformity and hides secrets. They acknowledge the history of slavery in the region and its influence today. The people celebrate their heritage, whether they are Creole, Acadian, or Acadians (which is where the term “Cajun”, a people from French Canada who fled British rule in the 1800s, came from), by celebrating food, culture, and lifestyle. If, like me you don’t know Louisiana Creole and Cajun, please read this article.
2. Louisianians are friendly.
Can I generalize that happy people are friendly? When I’m happy, I tend to smile more, open doors for others, and take my time. In Louisiana, I encountered many happy people. Michelle, who is a worker at Rabideaux’s Sausage Kitchen (pronounced I-O-Way) in Iowa will be getting married in October. She asked me where I was and what I did when she saw me taking pictures. The next thing I knew, we were exchanging stories as if we were old friends. She’s sweet and her future husband is lucky!
A lady in Houma, Louisiana (the second-happiest city in America), explained this to me: “We enjoy a cup or coffee on the porch of each other every now and then.” She also said that working people do not need their own tables for lunch. As they enter, everyone sits together. This is not something I would have expected to see in a sweet novella set in a small town!
3. Louisianians love their food!
And so do I. Now! It’s not that I’m allergic to seafood. Bring an epipen if you’re allergic to shellfish on your Louisiana trip. Though I didn’t use mine, it is better to be safe than sorry!
I was able to enjoy beignets – fried pieces of heaven dusted with powdered sugar. Louisianians, you know, are French and not British, so I enjoyed iced tea. They do have sweet tea, though, because they are so friendly. The boudin, pronounced “boo-dan”, is a Cajun dish that’s best described as a pork and rice filling that can be served either as a deep fried boudin or steamed as a sausage. It’s so good, there’s a trail for boudin!
4. Lousianians appreciate nature.
I once held an alligator with my own hands in Louisiana! What does it matter that he only measured 12″? He had sharp teeth.
When they were children, many Louisianians told me that they used to water ski in the bayou, because there were few gators (kind of like Florida Gators during the last football season… sorry couldn’t resist). They laugh, and call anyone doing that today nuts! Thanks to southwest Louisiana residents, the gators are making a comeback.
On a tour of the bayou with Grosse Savanne eco-Tours, I saw this resurgence first hand. We didn’t spot a single alligator on our leisurely boat ride through the marshland. And we were looking. A sweet little bird fell over. The wings of the baby bird were not strong enough to save him. He fell in, and the alligators swarmed. Just say that I saw the cycle of life.
5. Louisianians know how to throw a party!
It’s not just NOLA ( New Orleans, LA ) everywhere! Mardi Gras remains a big deal in the entire state. Each town celebrates Mardi Gras with its own local flavor. Although I haven’t been there yet, I’ve heard that the Lake Charles Mardi Gras has a friendly atmosphere for families.
The state hosts more than 200 festivals every year. Was I impressed when I met the “festival Queens”? They were friendly, and proud of the festivals they organized. During a festival in which all the queens gathered, they shared that the sailboat queen and her friends would fill the pool of the hotel with small sailboats. The crab queen will fill it with toy crawfish… you get the picture.
Louisianians are a happy people! Year-round. We’d be all happier if you did that.
Plan your Southwest Louisiana Vacation RIGHT HERE! Your return home will be a happy one! My kids told me last night at dinner that I hadn’t yelled once at them all week, and it has been raining. Laissez les bond temps rouler!)