Street Legal and the French Quarter

First, I got a Louisiana State driver’s license and registered to vote. Then, I registered my car in the state. But, I wasn’t done yet. In L.A., we had to get a smog check once a year. In New Orleans, you’re not road ready until you get a “brake tag.” People take the brake tag very seriously. So seriously that the woman at the DMV told me not to put on my new plate until I had the brake tag. Everyone made it sound like a very serious test. Many had pointers.

Across the lake

One of the many reasons I moved here was to be closer to family. My aunt, our matriarch, lives across Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge (over water) in the world. I drove my tiny convertible sports car  with the top down, the wind whipping at me at 65 mph (the speed limit! I’m unaccustomed to over 35 mph). In the middle, you can’t see land in front or behind you. It brings a slightly freaky sensation of freedom and vulnerability. I decided to go with freedom and screamed as loud as I could for as long as I could…