19 Unwritten Rules You Need to Know for Living in Louisiana

For anyone who calls Louisiana home, you know the key to a comfortable life in Woodworth, Maurice, Lacassine, or Leesville begins with understanding your surroundings. Sure, you need to be street smart in the larger cities of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport. But you also need to have some "dirt road credibility" too.

But, because Louisiana is not just a singular entity, sometimes understanding the rules in one part of the state can get you completely lost in another part of the state. Some say Texas is like a whole other country. Well, Louisiana is a lot like several countries all stitched together in a mutual understanding that respect for each other and respect for the land will always be the best choices you can make.

Through our time wandering along the levee banks near Henderson and Butte Larose, and almost as much time wandering aimlessly while slightly addled through the French Quarter of New Orleans, we have learned a few things. Some of those lessons were easy to pick up. Some of them required forced understanding.

But they are the rules and you know what they say about rules? Rules are meant to be broken. Of course my dad always said a "Hard head will lead to a sore ass". So, understand that we are only offering you a basic understanding of how to live life successfully in Louisiana, it will be up to you to create your own nuances and understanding of how each of these rules might apply to your particular situation.

Are you ready to learn something you probably already knew but didn't know you needed to know it? And yes, I am sure you have a few other rules you'd like to add to our list, so don't hesitate to reach out and help the joie de vivre of Louisiana continue to flow the black water of the bayou. Maybe ooze would be a better word?