I just returned from a wonderful trip to New Orleans, or “Nawlins,” if you prefer the lazy Southern drawl. My suitcase still sits neglected in the corner of my room, glittering metallic beads oozing out of its sides, and I’m already mourning my losses. Having made plenty of visits to my many Nola relatives over the years, I consider myself to have been raised partially in the Crescent City. To me, the city will always be both familiar and magical at once.

The French Quarter is an intoxicating, multi-sensory experience. Even before you set foot in the streets, the warm aroma of saccharine pralines lulls you into a dreamy stupor. Tri-colored tinsel and metallic orbs suspended from swirling wrought iron balconies glint almost excitedly in the sunlight, heralding the beginning of Mardi Gras season. The breathy, brassy notes of jazz music drift seductively through the balmy air, punctuated by the staccatos of horse hooves on the hot pavement. Pillowy powdered sugar is heaped precariously on piping-hot beignets, and plastic babies await your discovery tucked within King Cakes. The lure of mysterious trinkets hanging from the ceilings of voodoo shacks, and the enchantment of tinkling pianos within pubs, is almost impossible to resist. A deeply passionate life bubbles just below the surface of the city’s quiet allure; you can catch privileged glimpses of it in the super-saturated paintings along the streets, the uninhibited laughs of old carriage drivers, or the stirring Zydeco music on a crowded dance floor. Penetrating the city is the mantra, “Laissez les bon temps rouler,” meaning, “Let the good times roll.” And, of course, they do.

As you can imagine, the return to reality is harsh. Well, relatively speaking, anyway — coming home to the pristine, peaceful Palo Alto isn’t exactly torture. However, I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running again by beginning work on a new design for this site. So, look for changes and new content coming soon! In the meantime, please bear with me and pardon the cyber-dust while I renovate!