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Week 3, 4 & 5: Road Trips and Pool Parties

Kia Ora! A few weeks have gone by and a lot has been happening! Over the long weekend Hannah, Lotte, Guilliame and I went on a road trip to some beaches in Florida. It was amazing! A very eventful time, we had a few mishaps here and there but can laugh about them now.

Our road trip began after class on Friday, first stop: Destin Beach. After driving for 4 hours, we pulled up to the motel and discovered that we were in quite a dodgy area and our room smelt rather gross. We figured we would be fine as it was just for one night, but gradually we started to notice more and more unpleasant sights. First, we found a prepaid phone and a spoon used for burning drugs hidden in the wall. There were also VERY dodgy people milling about outside (saw some drug deals going down, pimps and prostitutes pulling up outside). Also found blood splatter on the wall and mouldy furniture. The last straw was when we looked up reviews online about the motel and 90% of the comments involved people getting bed bugs and lice. So after 2 hours in the worst motel ever, we boosted it to find a nice fancy hotel. By now it's 12:00 and we were very tired. Thankfully a Hotel down the road had space for us and we all got cozy in a drug-free hotel.

The next day was amazing. Such a beautiful beach! White sand, clear blue water, and lots of sunshine! We roasted. After a day of sunbathing, we drove red-faced to Panama Beach. Another beautiful destination. We had a lovely dinner by the seaside and went exploring. We also had plans to go to the largest club in the US, Club La Vela, but discovered it was a $40 entrance fee and a huuuuge line. So instead we went home early.

In the morning we went for some waffles at the new fave restaurant WAFFLE HOUSE. Then headed to Pensacola Beach and met up with another group from Loyola's International program. Did some more chilling on the beach and soaking up the rays. The water was so warm, it was lovely just floating in the waves. From there we drove with the other group to Mobile in Alabama and had a nice dinner at a highly rated seafood restaurant. On our final day, we got more waffles and then we drove to Gulf Beach for some more sunbathing and headed back to New Orleans. It was a great trip!

The next week of classes was slow and lots of work was given out. But getting into the swing of things now. I started going to some Pump and Yoga classes, and I've also been running in Audubon Park! Exercise outside in this heat is a new experience, so flipping hot, my face goes beyond red and starts looking purple.

Went to a pool party at an Australian international student's flat. It was dope. The sun was blazing down, there was great company, chill vibes and good snacks/drinks by the poolside. Afterwards, we headed out and went to a new club as the night was still young.

I'm definitely having a lot of fun living in New Orleans, there is always something happening and cool people to go with. Never a dull day. Did some more exploring in the French Quarter and found a donut shop that had the best donuts ever! So good. We also watched some street performers who were very entertaining and knew how to groove! Walking down Bourbon St. is pretty crazy, lots of people, weird smells, and different music all mixing in the streets. And there is still so much more to see!

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