Blanche left her home to join her sister, because her life was a miserable wreck in her former place of residence. She had sexual relations with anyone who would agree to it. She escaped death in her use of desire. She was a teacher at a high school, and at one point she had intimacies with a seventeen year old student. Her image was totally destroyed and she could no longer stay there.
Elysian Fields are the mythical resting place of the gods.
This is the place of the living dead. By understanding the circumstances that brought Blanche to Elysian fields it easy to understand the motives behind many of Blanche's actions. One such action is Blanche's constant bathing. However, it is important to note that Blanche's description of her traveling came before she actually settles into Elysian Fields. The description therefore represents the new life Blanche hoped to find, not what she actually did find.