My senior year in college, I convinced my professors to excuse me from classes for a full week so I could “conduct a tour of law schools to determine the school that would best fit my academic interests” (bullshitting skills that would stand me in good stead in my chosen profession). Of course, I neglected to mention that the only scheduled destination on this trip was New Orleans, the only school I would set foot in was Tulane (to ask directions to the French Quarter) and the date just happened to fall in late February. The city was magnetic and soulful, one of the only places I’ve seen where individual spirit and eccentricity (as well as lack of sobriety) are celebrated and cherished traits.

Holed up in a Manhattan highrise, it’s relatively easy to forget the recent devastation that struck Louisiana and Mississippi. But the internet has provided an amazing roadmap to news, moving personal stories and ways to help, regardless of your location. Bloggers like this one are documenting pain and loss as they see their hometowns destroyed and their families left stranded. The blogosphere is brimming with pictures, videos, and powerful accounts of the fear and despondency that inevitably follow witnessing the ruination of homes and lives. Organizations like the Red Cross have made it ridiculously easy to donate online. Before we all depart for our long weekends, it’s worth taking a second to read some of these stories and contribute to the relief efforts. And if you’re reading this and have been displaced by Katrina, I’m deeply sorry for your loss and I invite you to come up to Manhattan - we need more southerners here, too many northeasterners in one city can get pretty tedious.