MARLER: How Louisiana won me over in just one week

By Chris Marler

A week ago I packed up my life and my fiancé and I moved to Louisiana. 

I was completely ignorant and oblivious to most of the state. I’d been to New Orleans for a few bachelor parties. I’d made a few work trips to Tiger Stadium, and I’d been to Baton Rouge for work Christmas parties that I used as a guise for trips to the L’Auberge craps tables. 

What I “knew” about Louisiana I had learned from TV, The Waterboy, and College Gameday B-roll. Tropes and cliches that had less substance and depth than the powder atop a beignet had summarized the extent of my knowledge of this place. 

I knew it was hot, the food was unreal, and it was different. 

Ding, ding, ding. All three turned out to be very true.

We moved from Atlanta, a place I called home for 37 years. I thought forgetting Atlanta and leaving it behind would be the most difficult thing I’d gone through since that 28-3 debacle a few Februarys ago. I loved Atlanta. I loved the energy, the vibe, the growth and I was ok with tolerating the rest of its negative traits and idiosyncrasies. 

Then after eight hours in a U-Haul and multiple Buc-cees stops along the way, we got to Louisiana. 

The Golden hour dressed the state as the sunset beyond I-10 as we passed some lake, swamp, body of water, etc. shaded by magnolia trees and Spanish moss. I thought the heat would be the first thing to strike me entering this state, but it was the beauty. 

Our neighborhood is quiet, scenic, and littered with even more magnolia trees shading a backyard for our five year-old corgi, Pepper, to play in. 

Everyone is nice. Everyone. Neighbors, strangers, and new coworkers have taken time out of their days away from their lives and jobs just to give us well wishes and tell us the best food recommendations imaginable. Even the humidity took some PTO this weekend and welcomed us here. 

We don’t have anything like this where I’m from. I grew up in Atlanta, and briefly lived in Columbia, South Carolina. Both places feel besmirched by heat but it’s their lack of southern hospitality, that was promised upon arrival and never actually experienced, that really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. 

We’ve gotten lost in our twists and turns and travels to and from my job. But, every wrong turn feels like it has led to discovering yet another new spot we have to try or need to see. Routine trips to AT&T end in seeing college sport cathedrals like Tiger Stadium, Alex Box Stadium, or some forgotten Ag Center that oh-by-the-way saw Pete Maravich score 44 points per game without a three-point line. 

Are you kidding me? Houses that Shaq and Joe Burrow built bookend a road that even I know has taken me to the best tailgate I’ll ever experience with the best food I’ll never be able to pronounce. 

This place is incredible. 

I remember taking this job over a year ago and my boss saying to me, “Louisiana is a place that if you love it, it’ll love you back.” 

He was right. The biggest question we keep asking ourselves now, is what took us so long to come here because it already feels like home.

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