On My Own in New Orleans

Exploring the city on my own was an entirely different experience from the tours and traveling together as a class. I enjoyed the freedom of being able to take as long as I liked, and I was able to see the city in a new light. Don't get me wrong I love the walking tours and the museums, but since there is so much to see and do, I have felt a little rushed the first few days. Also I am pretty introverted, so it was nice to be able to recharge by myself for a while.
Being out on my own, I found that I was less shy and more adventurous. When touring the Museum of Death I asked the curator many questions, and I actually had a fairly long conversation with him about the collection at the museum. This is something that I would not have done with my whole class nearby, and I am not sure why. I am just more comfortable by myself or with someone I have known for awhile, like Karissa. Also, I have found that most people in New Orleans are very kind and willing to answer questions or just talk to me because I am a tourist.
I really enjoyed just wandering the French Quarter with nowhere to be and no limiting factors, especially Royal Street. I have never been a very artsy person myself, but I appreciate art and the skill it takes to make art. I will admit that I often do not understand art, but that makes it all the more interesting to research what inspired the artist. An excellent example of this is an artist by the name of George Rodrigue. I did not understand what the big deal was about the blue dog. It is a fairly simple painting, but it became immensely popular and well known. Again, I was talking the ear off of someone who was working in the gallery and had a few of my questions answered. I admitted to her that I found the image of the blue dog to be slightly unsettling due to the red or yellow eyes, but at the same time I began to understand the significance of the paintings.