Late August 2005 was to be a busy time in my life. I was standing in a wedding, taking classes, and working full time. Clouded by my hectic schedule, I neglected to follow the path of a developing storm that I was confident would hit Mobile only. The wedding I was a part of was on a Saturday night in the French Quarter and required us to check in to the hotel Friday afternoon. Taking only small precautions, I booked the room for an extra night thinking that I would be safe on the third floor. I planned on making that last weekend in August a mini vacation, my last adventure before getting back to the grind. \r\n\r\nSunday morning at 5:30am I was awakened by heavy banging on my hotel room door. Everyone was being put out of the hotel. In just two days time, the storm had changed paths and gained strength and was headed straight for New Orleans. I scrambled to get my things together and ran out to the line of taxis waiting to take hotel occupants away.\r\n\r\nThe following weeks are a giant blur. I threw a few changes of clothes in my car, grabbed my cat and got on the road. After 10 hours and countless tears I found myself in Foley, Alabama for three weeks until I was allowed to come home. \r\n\r\nLiving in Bucktown, I had one of the last zipcodes opened for us to come home. I returned to no power, no running water, no windows, and the National Guard stationed on the leevee four houses away from mine. As uncomfortable and hot as it was and as many bugs came into my home, I was so much happier to be back at home. Most of my friends had damage to their homes, and soon after I returned home, I had 11 friends staying with me. After all of the horrible sufferings our city and its people had to make it through, it lightens my heart to think about the nights there in our darkened home. \r\n\r\nMy house was more a home than ever on the nights after the storm. We would open many different kinds of MREs, light candles around the house and play cards or board games all night. The bonds forged in those walls will last our whole lives through.\r\n \r\n