Own What You Love
During a recent trip to New Orleans, I indulged in a cemetery tour, a walking ghost tour, a ghost-hunting tour (in my actual haunted hotel!!), voodoo stores and vampire restaurants. It was all spooky, spiritual fun.
What I did not partake in was the (in)famous Bourbon Street, a row of blocks upon blocks of bars and clubs, a veritable drunken playground for adults. I’m not opposed to drinking, partying, letting loose (all responsibly, of course). In fact it was amusing to wander the street to indulge in the vibe (but nothing else). No, this scene wasn’t for me.
What was my scene—even after all the mystical, occult aspects of my trip—was the Faulkner House Bookstore. Housed in the home where American literary icon and Nobel laureate William Faulkner once lived, the tiny bookstore was brimming with character. That was where I found my happy place, picking through Faulkner’s books, plus the collections of Tennessee Williams’s plays (another author who lived, wrote in New Orleans). I could have picked up their books at any bookstore; I did not have to travel all the way to the French Quarter to buy them—but there’s something magical about buying a book that has sentimental literary value of the location.
Remember that when you’re next travelling and think you should enjoy the sites of the city. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. But if you love a good bookstore, search one out—then proudly make it the highlight of your trip.