I visited the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans for the first time on a family vacation late June 2005. I immediately fell in love with New Orleans. The music, culture, history, and yes, the food was incredible and I was already trying to figure out when we could return before we even left.\r\nThen just two short months later Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and we watched on television the destruction, loss, lack of preparedness, and federal government fumbling, and were stunned.\r\nWe watched as scenes of New Orleans were broadcast and kept saying out loud things like, \"We ate dinner there,\" or \"We were on that street.\" We were shocked and could not believe that a storm could have caused all of the damage we were seeing. We immediately called the Red Cross and donated money. We went to drop off locations and donated clothing, blankets, and two backpacks filled with school supplies.\r\nTo this day, I cannot begin to imagine what the people of New Orleans must have gone through and are still going through. Especially since I felt such a sense of loss and heartache, and I only spent a week of my life there. The residents are resilient and full of love for their city, for which I am grateful for I cannot wait to return to and once again experience the music, culture, food, and history that make New Orleans, New Orleans.