Although I’m physically in New Orleans, my spirit has been living rent-free in the bayous of Southeast Louisiana.
As someone who’s allergic to seafood, I never thought I’d find such joy in thinking about shrimp for five days straight. Leave it to an NPR sprint and a passionate subject in the bayous to break that false narrative.
My first bylines as a digital reporter forever changed the way I read news for the better. I saw different perspectives and voices I wouldn’t have before. When I read a great sentence, I thought I had the knowledge to know what question the journalist asked to provoke that question.
Reading the paper was one of my favorite past times leading up to becoming a journalist. Now, in a busier time of my life, audio has become my medium of news consumption. Thanks to only a few days of hard work, NPR NextGen has changed the way I hear audio stories for the better.
This project has forever changed the way I will listen to audio. Even after a late night of work, I still wanted to listen to my favorite podcasts on the streetcar home to try and find their cross-fades.
Last week marked one year since I began freelancing full-time. As I reflected on that time, I realized how much I missed and quite frankly needed mentorship, collaboration, and like-minded chatter. Freelancing – as we know – can sometimes feel like a one-person show on an island.
NPR NextGen, thank you for allowing me to escape that island for a week and reminding me about the joys of collaboration; and thank you, Mónica, for collaborating in such a fun spirit.
Sometimes before I interview a subject who I know is going to be so fascinating that I’ll want to chat forever, I’ll brew a cup of coffee, just to sit, sip, and chat, as if it’s not work. That’s how it felt to work with Mónica this week. It was pleasant, conversational, but educational work that proved to be fun.
Although I neglected to further my Spanish this week, I can now happily say I associate my only friend in New Mexico with shrimping in the bayou. So, thank you, Mónica.
A haiku by Owen about what home means to Lora Ann Chaisson:
Down the bayou girl
Resilient tribal leader
Home is near water