Driving through the cemetery the other night got me thinking about time I’ve spent in New Orleans.

Some of that time was devoted to petitions and offerings at St. Louis No. 1. One visit signified the conclusion of a road trip that began up the Mississippi River in Missouri with my cousin Jessica. Another time, I was with Margot listening to music at the Maple Leaf and staying in a small hotel that overlooked the old Ursuline Convent. Once my brother joined me on a trip, marked by breakfast at Camellia Grill and a few too many unlucky rounds at the casino. That was the same trip that found me at the Bridge City Correctional Center for my ArtCarTraz project. And finally, Mona and Shawn got married and we all wore white and marched in a Second Line parade through the French Quarter. That was in 2005. Just a month before Katrina.

I have not been back to New Orleans since but in 2007 I wrote about the city’s recovery in my very first published magazine article, “Where To Go Next: New Orleans,” for Travel + Leisure.