I don’t know about you, but I had this romantic notion of one day being on a boat on the Mississippi, that majestic river that inspired so many tales and songs.

The New Orleans skyline, as seen from on the Mississippi river

Now, being in New Orleans for the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America (more on that here), the perfect opportunity finally arose.

Sunlight on the cathedral of New Orleans; a divine intervention?

The same cathedral, up close

And you know what? You can take a 50-dollar steamboat cruise, which is probably amazing, but you can also take the ferry to the other side, and pay the little sum of $2 ($4 if you also want to get back), and get that whole feeling for close-to-no money!

New Orleans from on the ferry

Well, that got me so excited that I had to write about it here! Now back to conferencing, as there is still a lot of people to meet, and a lot of exciting science to learn! I met a lot of fascinating scientists today that helped me shape some of my plans for the future. Which is at least as exciting as being on the Mississippi.