Back to the New Orleans French Quarter and the Mississippi Gulf Coast

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This Thanksgiving, I went home to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the  first time in three years (since joining Microsoft). Of course, I had to stay a couple of nights in New Orleans to begin the trip. Being back in the Quarter made me think of this list:

How do you spot a New Orleans native in the French Quarter who hasn’t been home in a while?

  1. You hear them say, “I haven’t been back to the Quarter in years.” (especially for those who still live in N.O.)
  2. They get emotional when asking for a “Sweet Tea and a Shrimp Poboy Dressed.”
  3. They refuse mardi gras beads because they don’t want to get their shirts dirty.
  4. Nothing on Bourbon St. after dark shocks them. Nothing.
  5. They do their gift shopping in the Flea Market, except for the mardi gras beads.
  6. They drink at Pat O’Brian’s at noontime in the air conditioning (in November)
  7. They wonder if the Saints have won a game yet.

Kyle and Sara in French Quarter