because i will defend new orleans to the end

i felt compelled to post an update in response to a comment that post-katrina new orleans "just won't be the same." it's something that is important to me, as i love that city about as much as possible. i left new orleans 15 months before the storm hit, and i've only been back twice, but this is what i can tell you:

new orleans isn't the same after katrina, but having seen what happened during and after that hurricane, neither am i. while we can mourn the superficial and not-so-superficial changes between "before" and "after", the city's spirit and soul have survived. and if you're lucky enough to have known her before, you owe it to her to give her a chance in the after.

~beatrix