I may or may not have kissed the ground upon landing…

AMERICAAAAAAA! Man, clearly you have to leave this country to really appreciate. I flew literally halfway across the world just to make it back to my grandparent’s house for Christmas in a tiny town in Louisiana and I could not be happier!

Southwest Louisiana sunset

Merry Christmas, ya’ll! I’ve written a few posts about Louisiana and why I love it so much and even a post or two about spending Christmas here, but this year holds so much more significance than years past. First, I hadn’t seen my parents in a little over three months and hadn’t seen my grandparents in about six months. Second, I had been homesick as HELL (I’m proud to report that the homesickness has lifted but will probably come back with a vengeance the second I return to Spain…oh well). Finally, I was able to combine my travel writing career and my love for southwest Louisiana into a travel story for Sheknows.com! This particular region has a creole and cajun culture that is unlike other parts of the state and is worth exploring. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, LOUISIANA IS SO MUCH MORE THAN NEW ORLEANS!

Soaking in the Louisiana sun last Christmas…yep it was 73 degrees 🙂

Have a look, will you? Perhaps it will inspire you to spend some time in the Pelican state and laissez les bons temps rouler!

Welcome to Acadiana: A guide to southwestern Louisiana