Arrival

We left England, my wife, two boys (3 and 5 at the time), and myself on Halloween in 2018. I have to give this simple piece of advice, if you are flying anywhere with children, go direct. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to do transfers from one plane to another with only a couple hours between, the stress is not worth it. But, ours could have been tainted by our entry, we came in through Chicago, which as a rule that's not very helpful to the family travelers and that's, all luggage needs to be collected between flights, and it took an hour for it to arrive. I'm not sure what happened between the plane a baggage reclaim but I'm pretty sure our bags went on there own holiday, only around the airport, but still there own short trip. So, I never recommend connecting flights, ever...

Once on the last flight we arrived in New Orleans, my favourite airport. When we landed the new terminal hadn't been completed and you can basically walk off the plane and out in to the street. Hardly any difficult security to get through where you begin to question your own existence just simple and calm. Except for one thing $5 for a baggage cart takes the piss. And it locks once out of elevator in the car park anyway... Seriously $5 for about 200 yards of travel...rude, just plain rude.

So, in NOLA, and as we walk out of the building...November 1st by a couple of hours... We get hit by a wall of humidity. We left England in jumpers and coats, and land wishing we were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Apparently, I don't know this but there's still insane warm fronts in November in south louisiana... Who knew...not me in 2018. 

Next is the hour and half drive to our new house... Seriously weirded out by the side of the road stuff and turning on a red light.

We get to our new home, almost a cabin in the woods, just a little bigger. And we can see the road from the window. The lights had been left on, it looked so welcoming after nearly 24hours constant traveling, starting in Norfolk and ending in Terrebonne parish. But those welcoming lights, didn't just welcome us, they also welcomed, what I believe should be the state animal... mosquitoes. Loads and loads. We pushed our way through the swarm with all the luggage, let at least a hundred into the house. We blocked off the bedrooms and trapped them in kitchen and living room. Then it was to my shock something I had a skill for...towel whipping... Of course I used to do that horizontal at my brother's or uni housemates but now vertical against mosquitoes I wasn't too bad either. After about half an hour of that we sent the kind cousin who collected us on their way (out the back door where no light brought the evil bugs closer to the house). 

Finally it was time to sleep, our two boys were unconscious, nut just sleeping that sweet child in a movie sleep but unconscious drooling all over the pillow. The wife and I finally lay down to sleep and a massive crash of thunder shakes the house. Literally shakes the house. The a wall of water slams on the tin roof, the white noise it creates was very soothing, until it was followed by another crash of thunder... And then... A slow dripping sound. We get up mobile (cell) phones in hand and start searching, we find the leak in the roof, and put a bucket under it...deal with the next day.

Finally sleep. 

Not yet...

Massive crash of thunder and then all the fans turn off and the window A/C units turn off....

We had certainly arrived and Louisiana welcomed us with everything it wanted to shows us what it was made of.

That night just as I was going to sleep I truly wondered what had I agreed to.