Cristina Zenato

Cristina Zenato Instagram – After returning from New Orleans and attending DEMA, a yearly diving professional convention, I received a few comments and questions about the city and my experience.
While I was there, we received many warnings about the city’s dangers; we were told not to walk anywhere and always to catch a cab, which we never did. We walked everywhere, stepped through busy areas, jumped across many stinky and sticky items on the roads, skipped many rats, and experienced the little we could with the short time we had before having to spend more of our days inside the conference hall.
Reflecting on my experience, I realized big cities are not for me; they never have been. I vaguely remember visiting New Orleans back in 2000, and the memory and feeling have mainly stayed the same.
This place gives me a sense of sadness and yet a sense of marvel.
I didn’t like the display of the use and abuse we humans subject ourselves through addictions; I felt sad seeing so many people wasted, many living in ways seeking peace of mind and happiness, that it would be hard to find where they are looking.
At the same time, I enjoyed the history dripping from the walls, rising from the ground, the mixing of cultures, and the background of what bringing together different languages, cultures, and attitudes can create. There was beauty in the details, creativity on the corners of different streets, and expression of the soul.
This experience made me realize how we sometimes search for fulfillment somewhere out there, how we tend to run away from our problems, thinking they would get better on their own, without noticing that we keep carrying ourselves and that actual change only comes from within.
I completed the journey some time ago, and viewing it from the outside was fascinating. We are the reason for our being. We can leave and travel and change location, but while we do that, we need to change how we perceive ourselves, learn to accept who we are, and use our energy to better our lives from within.
Image @kewinlorenzen | Posted on 20/Nov/2023 21:05:27