We awoke before 5:00 a.m. this morning and got on Rt. 171 north. Thick fog shrouded the darkness of pre-dawn. Until today, I'd never been farther north in Louisiana than DeRidder. We ambled through small towns, Rosepine, Leesville, Fort Polk, Anacoco, Many (manny), names familiar to me only from watching local weather forecasts. They call this "hill country" and indeed, there are rolling hills, very different from parishes closer to the coast.
It was Exploration Day at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA). Eric is considering attending this high school. The biggest question is whether he should start there his sophomore or junior year. LSMSA is a public state high school nestled against Northwestern State University in the charming little town of Natchitoches, pronounced (trust me) NACK-a-dish. Being a public school, there's no tuition, but we'd pay room and board. Eric is a perfect candidate for LSMSA; self-motivated, mature, independent, bright, social. Both academically and extra-curricularly (is that a word?), LSMSA has so much more to offer a kid like Eric than a traditional public high school. He'd be challenged academically, and also have outlets for his trumpet, voice, and acting talents. It's truly more like college, just a few years earlier. And the fact that it's like college is also the biggest drawback. It's a bit over two hours drive away. He'd live in a dormitory. They have one three-day weekend a month to come home, plus the usual holiday breaks. Of course, where else but in Louisiana do you get a week off for Mardi Gras? But are Bob, Andrew, and I ready to send Eric out into the world?
Natchitoches is famous for its meat pies. They're shaped like large pierogies, made of pastry dough and filled with seasoned meat. In Mexico, they'd be called empanadas. We picked up a few to go for the ride home. Sorry, no photos. I forgot my camera this morning.
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5 comments:
Wow, that's a big step! My prayers are with you as you all work on making this decision.
What a huge thing this must be at your house! I join in praying for the Lord's guidance as you discuss and make your decisions.
I enjoyed reading about your experience at LSMSA for Exploration Day and hope your family will decide it is right for Eric to be here. I just wanted you to know that I, too, came to Louisiana from Pittsburgh, and I understand the resultant culture shock. I am a recovering Steelers fan who has fallen in love with the Saints! I am the Director of External Affairs at LSMSA and can't help but hope you join our family. Email or call me if you have questions. Judy McIntyre, 318-357-3174, x123
Thanks, Judy. We think LSMSA is super, and we'll let you know what we decide. We wish LSMSA was in Lake Charles! How did you find my blog?
Hey, Angie. Keep us posted on what Eric decides. We were going to go to LSMSA for an arts day a couple of weeks ago, but Quentin had a nasty cough going--and it was the week before all-parish choir, so he needed to get better. Quentin is interested too, although he is also exited about Baton Rouge High now too (let's hope he gets in there for now!).
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