Hey guys, I’m back!
This post is gonna be personal and a bit heavier than the routine here, just so ya know.
Man, this past month has been crazy and overwhelming in so many ways… So if you didn’t know, we live in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is the exact spot Hurricane Harvey was expected to hit until just about the last minute when it shifted a few miles northeast of us, sending the worst of its devastating impact to Rockport and Port Aransas (and many other smaller communities) before pouring unprecedented rains over Houston causing flooding unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
We evacuated to Louisiana and stayed with my family for almost a week. While we were evacuated, a million thoughts raced through my mind as Roland and I stayed glued to the news:
I hope everyone gets out safely. There are people we know and love who are staying–please let them be alright. How long will we have to stay up here? What if our house is destroyed? What will we do?
We got word that our house was standing and didn’t sustain major damage. While words can’t encompass the level of relief and thankfulness I have that we had a home to come back to, I am devastated that so many people lost everything to this hurricane–some, even their lives. Even once we were cleared to come home, I spent the whole drive questioning everything. I felt stupid. I berated myself for “wasting my time” fixing up this house that could have just been blown away. I could have been coming home to nothing. Those thoughts terrified me. I questioned if I wanted to continue living in this city, even though we escaped the storm’s wrath.
After some much needed sleep and advice from people with wisdom beyond my years, all of this ultimately made me realize two important things:
#1: The safety of those I love, above all else. Nothing else really matters.
Homes can be rebuilt. Finances, however wrecked, can be balanced over time. New jobs can be found. Losing a loved one is forever. Never take those you care about for granted. And on that note, don’t take your family’s safety for granted. I’ll be honest: if we had not evacuated, we would NOT have been prepared for this. Since the hurricane, I have learned all about generators, food preservation techniques, cooking without electricity, what to be stocked up on, etc. We have learned our lesson and will definitely be assembling a hurricane/ emergency preparedness kit.
#2: You can’t live in fear.
As I mentioned, I wondered if we should continue to live here–so close to the coast. What if a hurricane comes next year? What if it doesn’t turn away?
Those are valid concerns, don’t get me wrong. But what I realized is that there is no such thing as a truly “safe space” to live where you’re completely isolated from danger. Wild fires are raging all over the west coast. Central Texas and Oklahoma are frequented by tornadoes. California has earthquakes. Heck, more than half the country would have to relocate to avoid coastal states that could be hit by hurricanes. And you know what? I don’t want to spend my life in a concrete bunker, fearing the outside world. So I’m gonna continue to take pride in our home and fix it up. If and when we move, it will be because we WANT to and not because we feel we HAVE to out of fear.
I think because we are fortunate to live in such a developed country in this era of technological convenience, we forget how tiny and fragile we are in the world. And how easily forces greater than ourselves can change everything in an instant. I have taken this hurricane as a reminder of that fact, and have decided to learn from it without being made afraid to live my life in a place I call home.
In the tradition of getting back to normal, you can expect to see me bringing you more DIY content soon! Thanks for hearing me out and waiting for me to come back. I love you all, hug your loved ones, and have a good night <3
