Where The Heart Is- Jenny Heffernan

As is customary for the average college student, I filled my Sunday catching up with friends and family at home and around the country. Into what felt like the 19th hour of phone conversation, my best friend asked the inevitable question: “So what do you think of New Orleans?” Without hesitation, I responded with the same enthusiastic “I love it!” that I have used to answer everyone else. Matt, knowing me all too well, then made an interesting remark; “Jen, have you ever not loved a place you’ve stayed in for more than 12 hours?”
My darling friend had a point; I have used the same “I love it!” to describe Duke, Madrid, Charleston, Miami…and now NOLA. This factuality of his comment did not prevent my subsequent wave of indignation, however. Feeling as if my credibility were on the line, I forced Matt to endure a litany of the N’awlins specifics that brought about my love: the people, the culture, the architecture, the history, the spirit. It was then that I realized Week 2’s “lesson”; I already think of New Orleans as home (or one of them).
What’s more, it seems that my somewhat ferocious defense of “my” city isn’t uncommon. Sitting by the waterfront last night, a few of us found ourselves sharing wine and conversation with a friendly couple picnicking nearby. After introductions were made, I asked our new friend John if he was a New Orleans native, to which he responded in the affirmative. Several minutes later, however, he revealed that he and his wife, Kyle, have actually only been in the city for 7 years, and hail from Ohio. Their attitude towards NOLA, coupled with my quickly developing sense of belonging, bears testament to the magic of the place. The pairing of the city’s unique and captivating personality with the unifying effects of tragedy make for a fierce loyalty to the city, regardless of one’s actual origin. Consequently, my work in the Health Department has transitioned, in my eyes, from an effort to help the strangers of Nola to a mission to aid my neighbors. This shift in viewpoint has already served to inspire me more than any altruistic motive could; I’m no longer performing anonymous community service, but rather am serving my community.
It comes down to the tried and true saying, I suppose: home is where the heart is… and my heart is in my work and in New Orleans.

Jenny Heffernan