'4th of July - Asbury Park (Sandy)'

"Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us; the pier lights our carnival life forever.."

Last week in the midst of my usual list-making, event-planning madness, my friends and family back home were dealing with the stress, fear and uncertainty that can really only be understood by those who have experienced a hurricane for themselves. 'Nor Easters, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes; every region in the US and around the globe has their Act of God. This one started out being called 'Frankenstorm' which at first was kinda witty since it was due to hit on Halloween, but it wasn't until they named it - "Sandy", and I started to track the storm path, that I really worried.

I have to say, there is something very unique about hurricanes that hit the Northeast. In the 20-something years I lived in Massachusetts, I experienced several dozen. As a kid, all you think about is school being cancelled (even better- destroyed!) and there was even an element of celebration - it was not uncommon to hunker down in the basement with your friends and neighbors for a "hurricane party". We were always outdoorsy, so the idea of camping out in the basement with your friends for days at a time with PB&J sandwiches and a flashlight was the most fun a bunch of 10 year olds could have.

Later, I experienced some much larger storms. More likely, you see the destruction more clearly because you are an adult. My grandmother and I survived Hurricane Bob in the summer of 1991- just before I went to college. I was living with her and working at the local mall. The storm took down the mall and my grandma and I hung out for several days with no power. The house was fine and it was mostly downed trees that caused the power outages but I do recall experiencing a new sense of panic at being responsible for my grandmother. As usual, she was the one who was calm, cool, and collected. We toasted english muffins on the gas stove (always get a gas stove!) and filled the toilets with water we had kept in the bathtub. She passed away about a year after that and I am still so grateful we had that time together.

In 2005, E and I sat in the country's worst gridlock for 27 hours with 9 month old Kerrigan when Hurricane Rita was a category 5 and headed straight for Houston. We, like thousands of other people only evacuated after having just witnessed the wrath of Katrina. I remember sitting in front of the TV watching a mother hand her baby to a total stranger who was lucky enough to board a bus. When Rita was coming, we threw what we could in the car and put everything else in trashbags. I didn't know which was worse, losing our house or the thought of walking to Dallas once the fuel ran out.

One of the hardest things about living outside your home country, or far away from your family, is feeling completely helpless when tragedy strikes. My immediate family is in Boston but we have extended family in New York and New Jersey and the stories and pictures have left me jaw dropped. My dad is a Red Cross volunteer and still working tirelessly in the NYC Command Center. He texted me that he had over 2000 people to feed the first day. It's been almost a week and most of my friends in Brooklyn and NJ still don't have power. I feel like a heel going on with my day - school pictures, party planning, coffees and play dates. I can give money to the Red Cross and encourage others to do so but it is a very helpless feeling. 

The most ironic part of it all is the overall fear my family felt for us when we chose to move to Nigeria. Eight months later and I'm the one who is concerned about their welfare and health.  

In the big picture, I know those towns will rebuild, and eventually the power will be restored. It's truly a miracle more people were not hurt or killed. It will just be a long road that will take time and patience and money. 

That is once we get past the election anyway.

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