As soon as we crossed the Mississippi River, we swapped out the city-life we all know well for the rural swamplands of Louisiana, and I had no idea what to expect. I was taking in every little bit of scenery from the mosquitos to the steamboats. While chomping on some questionable Popeyes and starring into the darkness, I tried to fantasize about what Grand Isle looked like in the light. I can’t remember the last time I truly relaxed, and despite not knowing what Grand Isle looked like, I had a feeling it would be the perfect place to truly let go…

Watching a gorgeous sunset as we crossed the Mississippi towards Grand Isle.

Waking up beachfront that very first morning, there was only one thing on my mind: I NEED COFFEE. As Ashley and I made our trek to Joe-Bob’s (my new favorite restaurant), I immediately noticed the sense of community and the Southern hospitality I was always hearing about. The employees knew every customer by name and were laughing with one another. Their welcoming nature felt like a warm embrace, with every other word out of the cashier’s mouth either being “sweetie” or “thank you”. It was a very different atmosphere than I am used to having grown up in Southern California, where everyone seems to compete with one another over the most mundane things. This sense of hospitable nature made me very eager to truly be immersed in Louisiana culture.

After our experience at Joe-Bob’s, I was shocked to hear during seminar about the divide between American and Creole cultures in Louisiana during the late 19th century. An area that seemed so unified was built upon two polarizing cultures. Americans and Creoles have different values, traditions, and ethics, so how is any unification able to occur? It’s no wonder Edna felt so distant from the Creole community on Grand Isle! It immediately made me think of my own background. Growing up in an Iranian American household, I was brought up with two different ideals and often felt conflicted. French culture reminds me a lot of Persian culture. Both are family-oriented, place a huge emphasis on arts and food, and are extremely social. The French and the Persians love to throw a party! However, I could in a sense understand Edna a lot when she couldn’t relate to people like Madam Ratignolle. She truly embodies the ideal Creole woman, someone who Edna thought she needed to be but truly wasn’t her. Because part of my fundamental identity is American, there are parts of the Persian culture that I can’t relate to and doesn’t make me feel as connected to my Iranian heritage. However, growing up has allowed me to create this sort of blend of the two, giving me multiple cultural perspectives. I think as Louisiana has grown over time, it has done the same. But the question still bothered me: What about Grand Isle specifically has created this sense of community?

I thought I would leave Grand Isle with this question unanswered, but as I began to read The Awakening staring at the same shoreline that Edna once did, I started to put the pieces together. The environment of relaxation and excitement that the ocean brings is a universal feeling. When everyone comes to a beautiful island like Grand Isle, they can’t help but be fascinated with the water. This sense of peace can help create a much more welcoming atmosphere, where time really seems to slow down. As I turned to Chapter 6, my first true experience with Bookpacking occurred when Edna describes her view of the ocean.

“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude”

— Kate Chopin

As I stared into this seductive sea that Edna mentioned, I too fell under its spell. To me, the Gulf was a little like the unknown. Having only seen the Pacific Ocean before, I was so confused by the lack of huge waves and the warm water. Our group collectively (maybe all swayed by Kate Chopin’s words) followed this intriguing calling and went into the water together. We all were shocked by how shallow, flat, and easy it was to walk in the water. We made our way to the rocks and sat out there for hours talking about anything and everything. The unifying nature of the ocean really allowed us to bond as a group even though at the time we were strangers. Being in this setting of Grand Isle is the perfect place to foster community: you have no distractions and nothing but beautiful scenery to look at. Swimming in the water alongside the group in the same place that Edna and Adelé once swam is mind-boggling. I can really understand the closeness that they felt on the beaches of Grand Isle together.

Walking back to the house after spending all day in the water on Grand Isle.

Later that day, we headed over to The Starfish Restaurant for a delicious Po-Boy dinner. Looking around at the various tables, I could really feel the strong community found in Grand Isle. Each waitress knew most customers on a first-name basis, groups of friends sat at their table for hours and hours just talking, and overall, just pure happiness. After that heavy meal, Chelsea, Emery, Alex and I wanted to take a nice stroll to burn off all that fried food. Trying to better understand the concept of Bookpacking, I followed Edna’s words on walking.

“I always feel so sorry for women who don’t like to walk; they miss so much—-so many rare little glimpses of life”

— Kate Chopin

Not wanting to miss out on those little moments (especially given our limited time here) we embarked on our mini journey. Walking allowed us to see so many tiny details a car doesn’t show. We saw children’s shoes laying in the debris from the hurricane, the local school, and most importantly, the rooster beneath Joe-Bob’s. We were able to form a better understanding of what life is like on Grand Isle, walking in the footsteps of the people who call this place home. Making these little memories like Edna encouraged us to do allowed us to feel more a part of this quaint Grand Isle community.

Despite this community being struck by disaster on disaster on disaster, their hospitability and strength echoes throughout the island. As we drove to where the jetty once was, there were signs hanging from houses that said, “We Will Rebuild Grand Isle Together”. This really resonated with me, as much as this community has been torn down by Hurricane Ida, it continues to remain intact. The beauty and calmness that Grand Isle produces has drawn people here for well over 150 years, and I’m so glad to say that we were able to create our own community because of this place, despite many of us coming from different traditions and backgrounds. Even though Louisiana was built on many differing cultures, it was able to create this unique blend of many different backgrounds as our group has done. As we start to head into New Orleans, I am extremely to see this cultural blend and Southern hospitality in a city setting.