So here's the thing about watches. I don't like them.

Things I learned during my first visit to New Orleans:

1. It's its own little pocket of culture. The city as a whole has an atmosphere that is unlike anywhere I've ever been. I get why people love it.
2. "Ay baybeh" will never sound as adorable coming from a man who was born and raised in NOLA.
3. Catching an Uber to or from anywhere in/near the French Quarter will take just as long as it would take you to walk there. Save your coin.
4. Because of number 3, even if you're not trying, you will get anywhere from 18,000 to 20,000 steps in a single day.
5. Bacon and Shrimp Bloody Mary's are a thing.

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It's been a while since I dedicated an entire post to a single book. It's also been a while since I've read a book that I could not put down. I downloaded The Mothers, by Britt Bennet, through my local library's e-loan app, and after reading about three pages, I knew it needed to be in my personal collection, so I ordered a copy from bn.com that day and proceeded to spend all of last weekend face down in the next 270 pages. When it ended, I wanted more. 

The last book to have me this enthralled was The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman, and I loved that one so much I was reading pages in the Chick-Fil-A drive thru line. And even that title didn't get its own post. This book, though? If the only update I posted all month was this entry right here, i'd be okay with that.

It tugged on ever single one of my heart strings, and here I am, almost a week later, still not sure I have the proper words to describe it. But i'll try.
© the active spirit. +