The evacuation of my family for Hurricane Katrina was what many people would call a nightmare. Just like many other evacuees, this experience did not have a good start and only seemed to get worse. It all began that Saturday morning when we headed towards northern Mississippi in order to escape the brunt of the storm. Due to Hurricane Ivan the previous year, many of us were already used to the bumper to bumper traffic awaiting us on the crowded roads. After nearly 12 hours, we finally reached Jackson, Mississippi. It was here that we stayed during our evacuation of Hurricane Katrina. The next few hours were spent playing a game of tag to every hotel in the area. There were six cars total that canvassed the city searching for a place to stay. So you may know my family does not understand the philosophy of planning ahead and booking a hotel room in case the storm were to come. I finally reached a beautiful hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. I remember walking through the entrance way and noticing the chandelier and fine furniture in the lobby. We never expected to stay away for more than a few days, so while in line I gazed around wondering what features we could enjoy, such as a swimming pool. As it was finally my turn, I began to speak to the front desk person and all he could tell me was how he had just booked the last room. I was absolutely devastated; this meant that the search had to continue. It was obvious that he had sympathy for my family, considering the situation of course. He was kind enough to recommend a hotel further down the Interstate that was said to have one Jacuzzi suite available. Given my devastation, I automatically agreed and said that we would be right over. As we arrived at this \"hotel,\" I understood why the room was available. Even though it was in a horrible neighborhood and in a decrepit condition, it was better than sleeping in our cars. The first time we entered the room, we all gasped. For a room that was costing $175 per night, my family expected more than a twin sized bed and a room the size of a small bedroom. By the way, this Jacuzzi tub turned out to be a regular sized bath tub which did nothing more than take up valuable space in the room. Therefore, it became a bed for two of my cousins. Due to these conditions in the bedroom, we were afraid to look in the bathroom. The shower was so mildewed that it canvassed the entire tub and crept up the walls. Many people would wonder where is the room service and why wasn\'t the room cleaned? The answer is that the only room service consisted of two small low grade vacuum cleaners located in the front office. That is right, if you wanted a clean room, you had to clean it yourself. Despite these conditions, my family managed to call this location home for the next four weeks. While this discussion describes my evacuation for Hurricane Katrina, I could write a novel describing the entire experience. Even though I pray to never have an experience like that again, I can honestly say that I did learn a couple important lessons. First, I will never again wait until the last minute to book a hotel room. If I do not have a place to stay, I will keep driving until I find a decent place to settle. Secondly, I learned how to live with 12 people in one small room, without injuring one person. I was very fortunate that my home suffered minor damages from Hurricane Katrina, but unfortunately many of my relatives lost their homes. So while I was not able to fully experience the devastation like many others have, I did experience the struggle of my family members to rebuild their lives. For all who did lose their homes, I truly commend you for your struggle and ability to stay in school.