The following is a six-part blog detailing NAC's trip to New Orleans by contributing blog writer and self-described "trouble-enthusiast," Jeffrey Hill. Photos were contributed by NAC editor Matt Stroud.

PART 1: Arrival In The Big Easy - March 6
The smells of New Orleans pirates my senses. It's like a mixture of salty air, sugar and fried dough. Flying into the city provides a spectacular birds-eye view of marsh mazes, stripped trees and poverty. Rusty houses draped with blue tarps are seperated by chain-link fences and wandering backyard dogs. We take the Airline Dr. Bus into the city. The driver knows everyone who boards, except us, of course. He teases other bus drivers, growling about "driving on the road of hard knocks," and reminding the new guy that he has to "dot his Is and cross his Ts." The accent is heavy, half-drunk and wonderful.

We arrive at the Hotel Monteleone - where Truman Capote put his mother into labor and the favorite haunt of a ghost who loves to lock and unlock doors. The walk over to the hotel reveals that even in the most populated downtown areas, the hurricane's wounds have yet to heal completely. The Omni Hotel operates with boarded-up windows.

After settling in, we meet up with the NOLA YURP guys - Nathan and Kendrick, for local lunch and laughs. They are energetic, an outsider and a "born and bred" New Orleaner, greeting volunteers and joking with next-door neighbors, NPN. The take us to have "Po-Boys," which are New Orleans' version of the "Hoagie" or "Sub," with an actual backstory. My Po-Boy is alligator sausage. Come to think of it, I've never eaten an animal that could kill me before. I was told afterwards that I'm lucky I didn't get sick from it. They say most people can't handle alligator the first time. Regardless, the sandwich, as with most food in New Orleans, had a "kick" to it.

After meeting the NPN's Trumpet crew, and picking up a few copies for a "research read," we head back to the hotel for a nap and to prepare for the Sparking Creativity Symposium.

Click for other entries:

PART 2: "Sparking Creativity" Symposium, Bourbon Street
PART 3: The NPN Trumpet Awards
PART 4: 24Hrs NEW ORLEANS
PART 5: 24Hrs NEW ORLEANS (continued)
PART 6: Recovery.