I was born in the summer of 1969 in Baton Rouge, LA. My father had just finished his PhD and was teaching. T. Harry Williams was his major professor. My mother, well she worked for Edwin Edwards.
Ponder those last two sentences for a second.
We were Yankees from Illinois. Louisiana was just an adopted place for us. But a long ago adopted place. Started with my grandfather when he was learning to fly a plane in TX during WWII. He'd go to New Orleans anytime he could. Not a year passed in his life when he got back where he didn't go to New Orleans.
Even though my folks took me on a three week tour of potential grad schools, well that was just fun. There was never really any doubt. LSU. LSU. LSU, plus Tulane was really expensive :). I can't actually put into words how much I love the state of Louisiana.