I was in New Orleans for New Year's Eve. It was odd because it was a city I never really wanted to go see. I might have been with a group or maybe I was by myself, but I bumped into many people I knew. I was in a food hall, a place with many different vendors and options. I was looking around. Nothing really appealed to me. It was full of revelers, people dressed up in party fashion to ring in the new year. Matt Straight, my former co-worker from Grand Lux Cafe, was there and guiding us on the best place to eat. But I kept walking around. There was a place with a long line, but I didn't see what the food looked like. I found a bar after walking a bit and saw Ben Schaefer, my former co-worker from California Pizza Kitchen. He was bartending. I sat at the bar and was glad to see him. He puts me a coffee, but I don't drink coffee, plus it was 6 at night. Since he gave it to me, I thought I would drink it, but put a shot of something in it. Still I didn't know what liquor I wanted. 2 or 3 girls jumped in and sat at the bar next to me, kind of crowding my space. I asked Ben for a menu to see what they had and it was expensive, peculiar food, pork based. They had a picture of a pig diagram on the wall to show where the meat was from. The meat they served was from a very particular part of the pig and thought to be a delicacy. Menu items were $85,$95. I could really afford it. Plus it was small portions and I really didn't know what Id be eating. I decide to walk around again. My thought was that I would return to give Ben a tip. Around the next corner was Chris Marx, my friend from high school. He was with his girlfriend and a couple other buddies I think I knew. He was sad that I had excluded him from my plans to come to New Orleans, but I reminded him we had talked about it the last time we met for dinner. He said, "oh that's right." I turn d another corner and saw Sean McGuire and his brother Brian, friends from high school. He asked how I was doing and we chit chatted. Brian asked if I wanted to play pool. I told him I'll pass because I'm horrible at pool. I wandered off again. Next thing I knew, I was on the Amtrak headed back to Chicago. It was a night train. It surprised me becaus even though I didn't really want to go to New Orleans, I had gone to celebrate the New Year, and now I was leaving the city at 8PM. I felt surprised like I had been moving in the wrong direction. I got off the train at the next stop. Northern New Orleans, or northern Louisiana or Mississippi. I was going to turn back, but there were no frequent trains running. I was in a downtown area and looked for signs of life. It turns out the downtown area was sketchy. There were two white families running to get into their apartments or Airbnbs to escape the gunshots. Gunshots were going off incessantly. The streets were empty and it was dark. I didnt know where to turn. I didn't want to run into any gangs or any people doing the shooting. I climbed up to the roof of an apartment building to try to escape hoping I'd be safe from bullets and safe until the next morning. A mom and her kids saw me and invited me inside to her place to stay safe. I took the offer and came inside. She said they also go over the roof to get to their apartment for safety, to lose anybody that might be tracking or targeting them. I then realized, I left my money and wallet in my jeans pocket which I left on the roof. I was in my underwear for some reason. I told the mom I had to go back to the roof and she asked if she wanted one of the kids to go with me so I can get back. I told her I knew how to get back and she said ok. I went outside to the hallway and then to the balcony and the ledge, tracing my footsteps, but there were so many twists and turns and interconnected buildings I lost my way. I'm not sure if I even found my jeans. At the end of it I was on the rooftop of a different building that I wasn't sure even connected to then apartment building I had just come from.
Dreams are often a reflection of our subconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Here are some elements to consider in your dream and what they might symbolize:
New Orleans and New Year’s Eve: New Orleans is known for its vibrant culture, celebrations, and spontaneity, while New Year’s Eve symbolizes new beginnings, change, and potential. Your being there, despite not wanting to go, might reflect feelings about entering a new phase in your life or facing changes you didn’t anticipate or desire.
Food Hall: The food hall with its variety could represent an abundance of choices in your life or experiences you are currently navigating. However, your lack of appeal to the options might indicate feelings of indecision or being overwhelmed by these choices.
Bumping into Familiar Faces: Encountering former co-workers and friends suggests a desire for connection or perhaps unresolved feelings about past relationships. It may also reflect nostalgia or a longing for the comfort of familiar social interactions.
Bartending and Coffee: The bar setting could symbolize indulgence and socialization, but your discomfort with coffee (especially at night) may suggest you're not quite ready for certain social situations or vices, or that you are unsure about how to engage in those settings.
Expensive, Exotic Food: The high-priced menu may imply that you feel disconnected from what others find valuable or desirable, or that you perceive certain opportunities in life as out of reach despite being able to afford them. This could symbolize feelings of inadequacy.
Train and Travel: The Amtrak ride back to Chicago signifies a desire to return or a sense of detachment from the current situation. Being surprised about leaving early suggests feelings of confusion or regret about choices you’ve made, hinting that you may feel you are going in circles rather than moving forward in your life.
Gunshots and Darkness: The dangerous environment represents fear or anxiety about personal safety, both physically and emotionally. This suggests you may feel threatened by certain aspects of your life or fear for your well-being amidst chaos or uncertainty.
Climbing and the Roof: Seeking refuge on the roof illustrates a desire for safety and a higher perspective on your life situation. However, losing your wallet and jeans may symbolize vulnerability or fear of loss of security—perhaps related to your identity or finances.
Getting Lost: The feeling of being lost and disoriented, especially while retracing your steps, suggests confusion in your waking life about your path or decisions. This element of the dream can reflect anxiety about losing direction as you try to navigate through different choices and challenges.
Overall, this dream may reveal feelings of uncertainty and anxiety related to your life choices, social dynamics, and personal safety. It suggests a search for safety and clarity amidst chaotic situations and possible regret or confusion about where you stand in your life journey. Consider reflecting on the areas of your life where you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or disconnected, and how you might better align your choices with your desires and values.