My mom and I had never evacuated before. So when she woke me up at eight in the morning telling me to \"pack a bag, we\'re leaving,\" I knew something was different. This was my first indication that Katrina was something to worry about, not just another hurricane. All I really knew about Katrina at that point was that I was getting a two day vacation from school, so it seemed alright to me. My mom assured me we\'d be back in a few days so I only packed two changes of clothes, some books and other personal items. The ride to my aunt\'s house in Texas took fourteen hours, most of which was spent in standstill traffic. When I went to sleep that night, as far as I knew everything was perfectly fine. I woke up and everything was the exact opposite of fine. It became apparent we would be in Texas for more than just a few days, though I still didn\'t know just how bad it really was.\r\n\r\nWe ended up staying in Texas for three months. I went to school, made new friends and basically created a whole new life there. I could have stayed. But I needed to come home...to New Orleans. No matter how bad things might be there for awhile, it was and always will be my home and, like they say, home is where the heart is. Our house had flooded, and all of our things were gone. And that was really hard to see. It was even harder to see my beautiful city so beaten down. \r\n\r\nThe hardest thing though, was learning that my best friend wouldn\'t be coming home. She was a New Orleans native, but her mom wasn\'t and her mom didn\'t think it was \"worth it\" to come back. I came home though, and essentially started over. Everything was different...but at least I was home.\r\n\r\n\r\nIt\'s almost been five years since Katrina. And I still wonder what my life would have been like if it had never happened. I know that things would be so different; I\'d probably be a completely different person. So, while I hate Katrina for destroying my home, I can\'t help but be strangely grateful for that horrible storm. It allowed me to see one of the most beautiful things I\'ve ever witnessed...our whole city coming together. We united in a way that never would have been possible without Katrina. Also, we got a chance to show the world just how strong we are. I still cry when I think about something like Katrina happening again, or when someone new tells me their Katrina story. But at least I know we can get through anything, because we have each other and we are some beautiful, strong, caring people.