Soon I will be forced to return to my abode in HTX and will have to face all the issues I left behind. I will be searching for that sense of normalcy, but most likely I probably won’t find it knowing I should be somewhere else in this lifetime.

I left Houston, TX because I was under a mandatory evacuation from the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Hurricane Harvey.

Even I kept hesitating on whether or not to leave my home, but when I saw how high the water was rising, I just couldn’t see myself sitting in a house waiting to be rescued. I left! #ByeHouston

I saw my window of opportunity and I got on the road.

A three hour drive to my destination was not a bad idea to escape from the catastrophic events. Flooding, power outages, shortage on bread, meat and gas. Places to eat were closing before dawn. The Mayor would place a curfew on our city for several days. People were trapped in their houses days after the hurricane hit and my friends were out in boats doing citizen rescues.

Arriving here in Austin gave me a sense of “normalcy.” We had shelter, access to food, hospitality and a peace of mind. My family was marked safe.

Austin’s culture was every bit of cordial. The people here will greet you with kindness and go above and beyond to help you with whatever you need. Whenever I mentioned I was from Houston, I felt a little bit embarrassed to admit we were victims of a “natural” disaster and was seeking refuge. I was embarrassed to say, we were displaced from our homes and my children could not go back to school and I was out of work until September 5th. The people here seemed as if they understood and they made us feel welcomed.

As we settled in, we explored the city a little bit. Going to the state Capitol, and Lake Travis. Most of the time, my family and I got a chance to relax and enjoy a sense of normalcy outside of Houston’s catastrophic events.

As we come upon this Labor Day Monday, I will be traveling back to Houston to find that sense of normalcy in a town where I was born and raised. It will be a challenge to rebuild again and to empathize with those who lost their loved ones in the flood.

I am praying for those who were affected by this tropical storm and asking God to show his glory in the midst of recovering from this storm.

Shalom