I'm cleared for take off!

Well, I've finally successfully completed my "critique tour" for FOC & it feels good!  The critique tour is a regular tour with real guests, but since I'm new, a veteran tour guide shadows me to make sure I'm up to FOC's standards.  I only had 2 guests on my tour today, a father & daughter, they were great!  Having only 2 guests on a 2 hour walking tour is actually ideal; you can cater it to the the guests more instead of worrying about appeasing a larger group.  It's easier to answer questions & you can usually cover more territory & talking points b/c you can walk & talk.  One of my FOC tour guide instructors & a current tour guide lives in the quarter on Chartres & Dumaine in the slave quarters of a larger building.  Whenever he's home, he welcomes all the FOC tour groups into his courtyard for a few minutes so they can get a look at the real thing behind the big brick walls.  Of course, all the tour guests loves this special little treat, & fortunately, Ron was home today & let us stop by since I take my tour down Dumaine St.  I finished my tour in exactly 2 hours...this is a big deal, b/c I can talk & talk, & the time can slip away from you pretty quickly.  We had time to unwind for a few minutes back in jackson square & I got a picture with my tour guests.  This is a tradition that I've officially started with today's tour, but I want to continue throughout my tour guide career.  I've posted the photo on my tour guide facebook page:  www.facebook.com/nola.leah

So, I guess I'm up to FOC's standards & am finally ready to be put on the regular monthly french quarter tour schedule.  I'll keep y'all posted once I find out my regular tour dates. I'll do at least one french quarter walking tour a month for FOC, but I also want to be a docent at the 1850 House, so I hope to do that at least once a month, too.  Now, I just need a bit more tour practice under my belt, then I can type up my official tour guide resume (guess I really could/should go ahead & get that started) & get some commercial tour gigs...then finally begin making a little cash!!  Guiding a fun tour + cash = a great occupation equation!

BTW, I also spent a hot & sweaty 2 hours doing a final practice tour in the quarter with my friend & tour guide mentor yesterday.  It really helped to get my timing straight & review a few talking points.  Thanks, Ron...I owe you!! 

Looks like a good a week ahead...my tour guide continuing ed group is headed to NOMA & the Besthoff Sculpture Garden on Wednesday (that's the museum's free day).  We may also check out the Basin St. Station on Thursday.  Then, I'll be tagging along on a friend's tour of St. Louis #1 cemetery on Friday morning.

So, I'll have plenty of nola adventures to report on in the coming days...