MANDEVILLE — Friends and family expressed concern this week after longtime Mandeville resident Karen Mitchellsen once again introduced herself while on vacation as being “from New Orleans,” despite having lived on the Northshore since 1987.
Witnesses said the incident occurred while Mitchellsen and her husband were visiting Gatlinburg, Tennessee, when another tourist asked where they were from.
Without hesitation, Mitchellsen reportedly replied, “We’re from New Orleans.”
Her husband quietly stared into the distance.
“I’ve been trying to correct this for 39 years,” he later told reporters. “We’ve lived in Mandeville longer than we ever lived in Orleans Parish.”
Neighbors confirmed Mitchellsen has not only lived in Mandeville for decades, but also complains about Florida Street traffic, shops almost exclusively at Rouses, and can accurately predict Causeway travel times within two minutes.
“She’s from Mandeville,” said one neighbor. “She just doesn’t think anyone outside Louisiana knows where that is.”
Experts say the condition affects thousands of Northshore residents each year and is generally considered harmless.
As of press time, Mitchellsen had reportedly updated her explanation to, “We’re from New Orleans… well, actually just across the lake… you know where the Causeway is?”
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