"No good deed goes unpunished."

That quote is printed on my high school Key Club sweater. I know, what a cliche; but I'll admit, I was the one that found the quote and posted it on the 150 sweaters that we distributed. I thought I knew what that statement meant, but now, after being immersed within a totally different culture and situation, I realize the extent of my ignorance. New Orleans, is fundamentally different from my home and the hardest part of this trip is just becoming one with the community. You really don't understand the roots of the problems until you are able to see through the eyes of the people that lived through the disaster, and have chosen to stick around for the long haul to rebuild the beautiful city. And when I say beautiful, I must say, it is GORGEOUS. The architecture is just mystifying and I'm in awe of the historical sites that nonchalantly stand admist the churches and houses. But back to my point, I realize that I need to bring myself out of my own little bubble and try not to asses New Orleans with my perspective.

For example, my group has for the past two days helped with logistics, running errands, sweeping, things of that sort, and at first it was really hard to be satisfied with these tasks. Not because I was upset with the work, but because I felt that it wasn't really helping with the whole "Katrina Relief." That is the problem. The preconceived notion of what help is, and the context of help within New Orleans. I realized after much discussion and Q&A sessions that everything we do is for a reason. Every little bit helps. And sometimes, more than just the actions, the mentality, spirit, and intentions are what help drive the efforts. Don't question the worth of your task but instead, ask yourself why you are doing that task. You are doing it for a reason, the meaning may take a little bit longer than you may realize, but I promise there is a bigger idea behind everything we do.

This blog is utterly uncohesive, but it is pretty late, I am tired, and I have given up my dreams of being an English major, so with that these are all my personal opinions and thoughts that have been spilling over the past few days. I'm still unsure of how I feel, how I fit in, and how much I can help but I'm completely sure of one thing: with the compilation of little actions, good intentions, and insuppressible spirit, the 87 students, leaders, and associates will help change New Orleans. No doubt.

Natasha Hwangpo