i would like to start by writing that my story is not extremely exciting, and i don\'t remember many details. my story is not very moving nor is it compelling or probably not extremly interesting to anyone but me. but it is my story, and i would like to tell it. \r\n every one in my family left the new orleans area with some type on plan on where they were going and what they planned to do when they left. i had no plan except to stay in my grand mother\'s house and wait out the storm. located in westwego, her house was there since the fifties and stood its ground for other hurricanes. i felt it was a safe place. my brother was on way back from texas where he was playing music, and i expected him to stay with me for the storm. \r\n the sunday before katrina hit i was receiving calls from everyone i knew telling me to leave. i decided that since the weather was turnig worse i would leave with my brother when he got to westwego. hours before the storm hit we left. the news said not to go north because of possible floods, but we thought that would be the route with less traffic. so, we went that way. \r\n we drove with no plan of where to go. he picked natchez on the map, and we went there for the night. we slept ouside at a drug store, and the police brought us to a shelter that morning. the shelter closed immediately after the storm. we drove back to the new orleans area. we drove around fallen trees and power lines until we made it to covington. that night we again slept outside. the mosquitos were horrible. i had to receive medication because of the bites. \r\n when we woke we tried to get gas but no place had power. i had only about a quarter of a tank. we drove aimlessly, and found a gas station just outside of baton rouge that was selling gas. after waiting about on hour we finally got gas. we stayed in baton rouge texting my partents trying to desperately get in touch with them. we stayed in baton rouge the rest of the day. \r\n after i got in touch with my mother she told me about a coworked that lived in lafayette. we made it to his farm and worked there for three days. they treated us very well and bought us food and gas. my mother was in ruston, and after the third day of being in lafayette we made plans to meet in alexandria to drop my brother off so that i couls meet with some friends in beaumont, texas. \r\n i arrived in beaumont with very little money and barely no additional clothing for i only thought i would be gone for the night. my friends and their parents took very good care of me, and i got a job waiting tables at a local resturant. i was there until rita hit. \r\n because of rita i left beaumont with my friend lance and his mother and went to baton rouge. after the storm passed my mother met me in baton rouge and brought me back to the new orleans area. my grand mother\'s house that i was to stay in flooded. \r\n when i got back i moved to covington with a friend and started a new job. i lost the one i had in new orleans. i met new friends and people that changed my life in very unexpected ways. i now live back in new orleans and the storm still affects the way i live.\r\n although the experience was rough i had never before today wrote about what took place with my brother and i after the storm. it brought back memories and feelings that i forgot. i hope that in the future i will be able to post more stories and update this story with more facts and details. \r\n \r\n