Crawfish bowl...

Today I had a new experience...

I attended a crawfish boil. One of my favorite things to do in life is to do something I have never done before. It's like an adrenaline rush. You just never know what it is going to be like.

I like trying new thing with a mixture of people who have done the thing before and people who have also never had the experience before. I like the people that are experts to educate me and make the experience truly educational, and I like the people who are newbies because their facial expressions are priceless.

So today, I went to a crawfish boil. Ryan is 76.56 % Cajun so needless to say, he has been to a few crawfish boils in his life. HE LOVES CRAWFISH. (Which is another thing I like to have when I am experiencing something new: a person who LOVES what you are about to do...i just love when people are passionate about random things)

So this is what I learned from my expert teacher: Right before you boil the crawfish...THEY ARE ALIVE!! I never knew that! I am a city girl and really naive to a lot of these things. Ryan told me this fact so nonchalantly, like he had just said "when you mix red and yellow, you get orange". Anyways, this thought of their way of death HORRIFIED ME! I don't know why this horrified me so, I think its because my greatest fear is to die drowning. Now drowning in boiling hot water is pretty much the worst thing ever. You know when people ask you that question "would you rather burn to death or drown to death" I always say burn...but think drowning in boiling water is kinda like those two methods combined! It has to be horrible for them! Those poor little crawfish...

However, this sad thought of how they die did not keep me from eating them. Let me tell you...those poor little boiled crawmen were tasty!! I LOVED it!

For those who are like me and have never been to a crawfish boil, you need to try it! There is a science to opening a crawfish...Ryan and my friend Juliette, the girl who put on the boil, were very patient teachers! I am not a pro, but i am hoping I will get more practice later!

So during this "opening process" your hands get extremely messy. I enjoy getting messy so I liked this part. There is another benefit to the messy hands that Ryan brought to my attention. He said, "When you are at a crawfish boil, you are all there. If your cell phone rings, you can't answer it because you can't get it out of your pocket or open the phone" Really that is a beautiful thought! There are few things in life that we are all there for. It is wonderful to give your total attention to the group of people you are with. Some days I just want to go back to the life before cell phones...just for a minute...ahh feel the relaxation!!

So with all that being said: great food, messy hands, a great group of people, spending time outdoors, being all there...I give my first crawfish boil an "A plus" and look forward to repeat experiences!!