Even though I was not directly affected by hurricane Katrina, I still had to evacuate the city. I relocated to my hometown of New Iberia, La.I lived there all my life up until age 16. A few days after the storm passed, I began to experience the taboo of being a resident of New Orleans. Not sure of the condition of my home, this was soon to be home to me. Before Katrina things were not perfect, but certainly manageable. New Iberia is a small country town approximately 130 miles west of New Orleans. Only a few hours away, but the culture shock is tremendous. I was called out of my name, turned down for jobs, and ridiculed for living in New Orleans. No one knew I was originally from New Iberia. They saw my face, hair, and clothing and assumed \"OUTSIDER.\" I had never felt so unwelcome in a place I considered home. I stayed a few weeks and then returned to New Orleans. It didn\'t matter what I had or didn\'t have at that point all I wanted was comfort from all the negative actions and insecurities. The place where I was born and raised was unfamiliar to me. Like I\'d never visited or even lived there at some point. The negative I ignored all my life and refused to believe was actually true. I will remember my experiences for a lifetime, but home was never so unfamiliar as it is to me now.\r\n