10 Lessons From the Gulf Coast

1. Life in the Bayou

Photograph by Justin Bailie

The bayou teems with life. More fish than I've ever seen swim in the murky waters. They jump in schools. I can't tell if they're afraid, excited, or joyful, but every time they leap as a unified mass I'm startled and find myself laughing at the absurdity of these tiny little fish trying so hard to fly.

Lessons by Aimee Brown

2. Beware of Alligators

Photograph by Justin Bailie

There really are alligators here. They are likely to show up if you sit and dangle your feet off one of the docks into the water. Don't do this.

3. Shrimper's Row

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Shrimper's Row is called Shrimper's Row for a reason. We passed more shrimp boats than cars. Everyone wears white rubber boots that come up to mid-shin. Flip-flops stick out.

4. Boat Wrecks

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Wrecked boats sit capsized on the along the shores of the bayou as evidence of past hurricanes. Insuring a boat is cost prohibitive, and the majority of fishermen opt not to carry policies. Most of the time they're able to dry dock the boats before storms arrive, but sometimes it doesn't happen. It's not like the scene in Forest Gump where Tom Hanks sails his boat through the storm.

5. Happy Birds

Photograph by Justin Bailie

The already high water table means that when it rains fields and yards flood, becoming lakes and wetland. The birds love this. They come out in droves to feast on the insects and invertebrates that must leave the soil or drown. We witnessed a heron spear a small crab, rip off its head, then move on to its next victim. Trophy hunting.

6. Cajun French

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Adults speak Cajun French when they want to have a private conversation in front of children, 20-somethings, or visitors from the Pacific Northwest. It's lyrical, beautiful, and fast. The appeal of having a secret conversation in a room full of people reminds me of being 12 and learning to speak pig Latin with a girlfriend.

7. Boat Love

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Most men seem to have gotten their first boat when they were ten years old. It's a rite of passage similar to getting a bike in the suburbs, and grants the same sort of freedom of exploration. The women, though seemingly comfortable and enthusiastic about being in the boats, don't seem as drawn to owning them, or talking about them at length.

8. Plate Lunches

Photograph by Justin Bailie

From Bon Creole in New Iberia, to Annie’s on Grand Caillou Road, plate lunches are served up daily. These meals aren’t covered on the menu, rather they’re built from fresh ingredients readily on hand, and when served are reminiscent of a family meal. From spaghetti to meatloaf, seafood to green beans, it’s home cooking done for a crowd.

Read Aimee Brown's "Open Letter to Gumbo."

9. Family Fishing

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Fishing in the bayou is a family affair. High-end rods, reels, and gear don’t seem to matter much. Baiting your own hook, comparing biggest and smallest catches, and catching-up on daily affairs and the comings and goings of neighbors and friends—those are what count.

10. Shrimping at Night

Photograph by Justin Bailie

Shrimping happens at night. The best time to talk with a shrimp boat captain is either in the hour before dusk or mid-morning after they've unloaded their hulls and washed off their decks. The morning hours are also the best time to score amazingly fresh shrimp directly off the boat. On that note, uncooked fresh shrimp should not be pink or red. If they are, they have gone bad, and as one fisherman put it, should not even be served to the fish as bait.