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" This spring break, I went to New Orleans for an alternative spring break service trip, and it was undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my freshman year. Together with nine strangers\u2014who soon became some of my closest friends\u2014I helped several non-profit organizations in the New Orleans area and visited Tulane University&amp;#039;s School of Public Health and Med School. (Shout-out to anyone from Tulane, by the way\u2014your campus is so beautiful and warm!) We did a variety of service projects including door-to-door neighborhood canvassing on city council reform and a new healthcare program, community development (aka yard work\u2014which actually is quite fun when doing it with friends), urban farming, and helping out with the Louisiana Public Health Institute&amp;#039;s database for their tobacco-free campaign. We had the opportunity to converse with many of the leaders of the non-profit organizations, and it was truly inspiring to hear about the collaboration and support within the New Orleans community after Hurricane Katrina. At night, we had a lot of fun adventures in the city, like going to jazz clubs in the French Quarter, drinking coffee and beignets near Jackson Square, and eating loads of seafood (gumbo, po&amp;#039;boys, etc)! We traveled by public transportation most of the time\u2014well, that is, when we were at the right streetcar/bus stop! There are countless memories of our fun adventures in the city and thankfully we have pictures on Facebook to savor and remember our time there. Spring break in New Orleans was truly the break I needed to relax from the business of school. I loved the Southern hospitality, which was a drastic (and welcoming) contrast to the busybody mentality in Boston! I think one of the best outcomes of trips such as my service trip to New Orleans are the new friendships I gained and the new real-life experiences I was exposed to. By being in New Orleans, I was energized by the determination of non-profits and government to help their local community. It made me even more passionate to study and be involved in healthcare in the future! Even spending 62 hours on the train with our spring break trip turned out to be a ton of fun. Nothing can match our countless rounds of Cards Against Humanity, Telephone Pictionary, and Bananagrams! I wasn&amp;#039;t too eager to come back to school, but at the same time, the inspiration, energy, and new friendships from the trip are my main source of sustentation until midterms round two and finals week. I highly encourage involvement in a service activity/group that allows you to give back your passions, skills, and talents to your local community. Let me know if you need any help finding public service opportunities during the school year or in the summer. I&amp;#039;d be glad to help! Only 6 more weeks for me! Hang in there, Seventeen-ers! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a20525/alternative-spring-break-new-orleans/>