As the final weeks of the spring semester at USC came to an end, I was looking forward to spending a few days to decompress on a sunlit beach on Grand Isle, Louisiana. It was time to leave the months of stress and sleepless nights behind in Los Angeles.
The first glimpse of Louisiana’s green landscape from the skies above.
As soon as I stepped off the plane in New Orleans, I could already feel a shift in the air. No, it was not the humidity in the air (although, this is certainly something I am still getting used to), but rather an aura of easygoingness. I was no longer surrounded by the bustling chaos of Los Angeles city life where everyone is in their own bubble and in a rush to be somewhere. Instead, I observed that people were more carefree and welcoming. For instance, not even ten minutes off the plane, and I overheard a conversation in the New Orleans airport bathroom where a local introduced themselves to the lady next to them in line, and they began a conversation about their families and where they are from. I found it to be extremely sweet and refreshing since I would not notice this sort of outgoing, friendly behavior in Los Angeles.
Our journey to Grand Isle was beautiful and green. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen this much green while looking out the car window! As we ventured further and further away from the city, I noticed homes and stores being more spaced out and how the vast landscapes were endless. You could say that I was already experiencing a bit of culture shock due to the assorted sights and sounds we were being introduced to on our mini road trip. The radio proved to be a crowd favorite with some true country gems like “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” by Kenny Chesney to accompany our drive. It felt like a true Louisiana welcome, and so far, this tune in particular has lasted with us ever since.
Finally, we arrived at the house that we would be staying at for the next few days. I vividly remember the first night of our stay. The wind was relentless, the rain pounded heavily on the roof, and thunder shook the house while lightning lit up the night sky. It has been a long time since I’ve experienced a storm like that. I’m glad I got to witness this marvelous display of nature because the sun was shining the following morning.
“The morning was full of sunlight and hope.””
Before coming on this trip, I was looking forward to revisiting Kate Chopin’s The Awakening for the first time since high school. Obviously, a lot has changed since then, including myself and how I see the world. Rereading this novella on Grand Isle was a real treat since I could put myself into the perspective of Edna and the other vacationing upper class members of society and observe the charms of the island. However, when we began to explore the beach, restaurants, and markets, the questions I kept asking to myself were “How was this considered a desired vacation spot?” and “What is it about Grand Isle that makes people stay and live here?”.
To say the lifestyle of locals on Grand Isle is different to what I’m used to back home in Southern California would be a complete understatement. It is a complete 180 of what I’m used to back home. With only one main road, it is exactly what you would imagine when you hear the words “small southern town”. Each day in Grand Isle, I noticed new characteristics of the town each day. It sounds cliché, but it really did feel as if time moved slower. As a full time student, it is hard to find time to simply enjoy some free time, so at first, it was hard to adjust to my new schedule because I honestly did not know what to do with myself!
“It was very warm, and for a while they did nothing but exchange remarks about the heat, the sun, and the glare. But there was a breeze blowing, a choppy, stiff wind that whipped the water into a froth… The beach was very still of human sound at that hour.”
During one of our seminars, we discussed Edgar Degas’ paintings from when he was in New Orleans and how he captured Creole society at the time. These paintings really resonated with me because of how candid each painting was. It is impressive that each one captured ordinary moments in time, similar to how we capture photographs today. These paintings reflected what I saw for myself in Grand Isle, watching the locals out on the water in their boats, driving their golf carts around town, and eating at restaurants. In many ways, you could draw parallels between the lives of current Grand Isle residents and Chopin’s vacationers from the 19th century. I appreciated the relaxed atmosphere and learned to love the “mundane” on the island.
The aspect I loved the most about Grand Isle was the tight-knit community I observed between the local residents. On our final night, we grabbed dinner at Tommy’s Place. It was one of the few restaurants on the island, but just like any other place on Grand Isle, it held a certain attraction to it. It was not packed with people, but there was enough to make the place feel lively. Just like our dinner at The Starfish, it was clear that our group was from out of town. Curious stares looked our way while we ordered, and one gentleman seated at the bar started a conversation with us and he told us his story of why he moved to Grand Isle. A friend of his offered him to make $200 a day restoring homes from hurricane damage and he has been there ever since. He was super friendly to us and the others seated at the bar. As I watched other people there, I noticed that everyone seemed to know each other, emphasizing the beauty of a small town. To simply put it, everyone looked happy and very carefree while chatting amongst themselves or singing along to the music.
This environment is what made me fall in love with Grand Isle. In The Awakening, this place serves as a character in its own right since Chopin’s vivid descriptions bring the beach to life. I was grateful to see its natural beauty while also indulging in idle activities and just taking it slow.
