"This is it, Don't Get Scared Now!"

First, if you can name what movie that came from you’ll be cool in my eyes forever…hint: it’s a childhood fave!

Okay, but seriously, tomorrow’s the big day, the day we are finally able to return to our hurricane-struck island. I’m on my way to Houston now (no, I’m not the one driving). Our plan is to wake up ridiculously early and be in line for the causeway around 4:30am. Why so early? Well, tens of thousands of evacuees will all be trying to get back on the island just like me, and the line is expected to be hours long. We are allowed to start crossing the causeway at 6am, so we are trying to get to the front of the line. We’ll see if our plan works out!

Mary Alice’s car is packed as if we are going into a war zone…or on a mission trip, for ourselves! We are equipped with rubber boots, N95 respirator masks, tall rubber gloves, goggles, insect repellent, bleach, disinfectant, and unfortunately lots of trash bags. I’m sure we will be looking good all geared up. Don’t worry, they are supplying the rat bait. Yes, rat bait! Apparently the rats are having a grand ol’ time on this deserted island! Sick out! Most of the island is still without water, sewer, or power. So tomorrow night we will be camping out at Mary Alice’s apartment, in the dark, no AC, bathing with bottled water, eating food cold from a can, or MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) supplied by FEMA. This will be interesting! But there's a small chance her apt has power and water by now? That will be awesome!

I know for sure that my apartment flooded, I had friends go by and check. I was informed yesterday that my lease is terminated, and I have five days from today to get all of my stuff out of my apartment. By now, the mold has had ample time to set in, and take over everything I own. The reality that the majority of my stuff may be lost has not fully set in. I know that the first thing we will do when we go into my apartment is open the windows to air out the apartment as much as possible, as every report I’ve gotten so far has said that the whole island has an unexplainable stench. And therefore my apartment most likely also smells horrible, not to mention the moisture building up inside. Then, we will completely tape shut my fridge/freezer and drag it to the curb for the garbage men to take. Then, I will have to sort through all of my clothes, all of my school stuff, all of my, well, all of my everything. I will have to decide what is salvageable, and what is even worth the effort of attempting to save. My parents are coming on Friday. They will bring a U-Haul, if there is enough left for a U-Haul.

It is still not safe for pets and children to come back on the island. So Baylie will stay behind, indefinitely. That is not fun, not fun at all. In the meantime, I’m homeless. Our next test is October 7. I do not know when I will be able to start clinicals again. Or where. Mary Alice has been kind enough to allow me to crash at her apartment until I can figure things out. Without that, I do not know what I would do. But now we have to figure out where our clinicals will be, and therefore where I need to live. Time will tell.

Oh yah, and did I mention I’m officially without a car as well. During Ike, my car somehow caught on fire, and is completely destroyed. Here’s the pic. (Yah, I know, it’s not the red car I’ve had since I was 15…that car bit the dust. This is the Durango, its replacement. I just inherited it in August).

I’m not sure what else there is to say for now. I’m anxious about tomorrow. This is a lot all at once. But I think I’m too stressed to cry. How's that for honesty? So here I go…this is it, don’t get scared now.