Thirteen Years…

Nov 6

The first week of November marked 13 years that I’ve lived in New Orleans. My life has changed so much since I moved here, so I’m making a list of cool things that have happened in my life since I moved here in 2012. The list is in no particular order.

I moved into an adorable high-rise apartment in downtown New Orleans and had an amazing view of the city, including the Superdome.
I committed my life to Christ. After being invited to church at the end of 2012, when I cursed at the person who invited me, I attended a service in 2013. God was presented to me as a loving Father, who wasn’t mad at me. At that moment, I remember saying, “Lord, if this is who you actually are, I’ll serve you,” and I never looked back. That was the best decision I’ve ever made, and my whole life has changed for the better since that day.
I met Michael here! We attended the same church and met at a Bible study in 2016.
I earned my first degree at Tulane University at the end of 2018. I completed a double bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Health and Wellness with a minor in Marketing. I earned a Master of Public Health in Global and Community Behavioral Science at Tulane as well before earning a Doctor of Public Health in Leadership in Social and Behavioral Sciences, too.
We bought our first house here
I worked at Tulane for several years - on staff and as faculty. The first couple of courses I ever built and taught were at Tulane. The university has been such a central part of my story. It's think it’ll always feel like home to me.
I started doing segments on Great Day Louisiana on WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans, six years ago, and I still enjoy it. I found my voice, in large part, thanks to the tremendous team that makes the show happen every day.
My relationship with the Lord has continued to deepen throughout all the years I’ve been here. Michael and I are active members of a church here. We serve and host small groups, and we have awesome friends as a result,
We have two fur babies, Oliver and George. They fill our hearts with so much joy. Yes, I’m a dog mom. Yes, I treat my pups like people, and we all love it.
I’ve gained incredible amounts of confidence here. I’ve been on a pretty consistent trajectory in that area, and my confidence in my professional ability has skyrocketed this year. I’m surrounded by an incredible team, and even though we all live in different parts of the country, we work together and encourage each other regularly.
I have friends who know everything about me - the good, the past and everything in between. I choose them, and they choose me. It’s an amazing feeling to be known and loved.
I’ve had opportunities to travel all over the country developing leaders, and I’m growing in confidence in my professional life as well.

I could keep this list going for a long time. What’s more important to me today is to acknowledge many of the reasons my life has been so rich over the last thirteen years.

I’m looking forward to seeing where life takes us next.