I spent the last almost 3 weeks in Austin staying with my gracious friends in their beautiful air-conditioned home and it was glorious. Austin is a fun and adventurous city. There is always something to do; from the swimming holes (when they are open and not flooding) to the concerts, festivals, hikes and urban trails. It is the perfect combination of creative hipster and outdoor enthusiast with a sprinkle of college frat guy. As difficult as it was to finally leave the comfort of that bed and the kindness of my friends, I just had to, finally… at least for a couple weeks.

So I headed east.

The transition from Texas to Louisana is a noticeable one. In Texas there are prominent displays of patriotism with every available pole become a beacon for a large American Flag and a Texas State Flag right below.  Moving into Louisiana, highways become bridges over swamps and marshes and it feels like you might be an actor in Water World 2. Signs for coffee and gas are replaced with handmade signs for turtle meat, frog legs, boudin, and shrimp. Bait stores are more prevalent than coffee shops and billboards for personal injury lawyers or real estate agents line the highways. If you get off the highway, the individual parcels of land are so large that a riding lawn mower is mandatory and in use on every other lot.  Water towers welcome you into a town by announcing the Parish name and water district.  Bright beautiful green vegetation lines every road and highway making it feel as if you are living with a “Lark” Instagram filter. It’s beautiful and people are so kind and welcoming, waving to you as they pass you on the street.

But… beware of the semi trucks… they are crazy!

My first night I drove to Grand Isle State Park. It is on the tip of Louisiana and is a series of islands connected by bridges. Grand Isle sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is home to dozens of different bird species, cottontail rabbits and for me, last night, porpoises playing under the pier. All the houses are painted pastels and stand on 12 to 15 foot stilts to escape the impending flood. The scene is one straight out of a Nicholas Spark’s book.

One warning, the mosquitos are no joke. If you know anything about me it’s that mosquitos own me. One step within 100 yards of a mosquito and he and his best friends will have me as their main course and come back for seconds. However, it wasn’t until I got to Grand Isle that it wasn’t just him and his best friends, it was his entire high school, his cousins and his second cousins that sought me out and hovered over my tent until I made the unforgettable mistake and unzipped my tent for a midnight pee break without protection. Over 100 bites later (no exaggeration) in literally 30 seconds, I painfully crawled back to my haven and waited as the inevitability of the itch began. Awful, just awful.  But on the flip side, the sunset was beautiful and the porpoises were amazing! I recommend this cute beach town just don’t forget your bug spray and citronella candles!