Day 2 Post Hurricane Helene, Saturday, 9/28/24
Morning:
Hurricane Helene’s destruction was still fresh as I started my day around 9:00 a.m. My first priority was to preserve the food in my fridge and freezer. I asked my neighbors behind me if I could run a drop cord to their house for electricity. They kindly agreed, and after rummaging through every cord I could find, I managed to stretch about 250 feet across the yard to hook everything up. By 10:30, the fridge and freezer were running again. It felt like a small but meaningful victory amidst the chaos—no need to relocate the food to work. Hooray!
I had a conversation with my neighbor Scottie, who was cutting a tree between our properties. He had no idea how bad the damage really was and optimistically thought the power would be restored that day. I knew better, considering the number of power poles that were down. I offered my fridge to him and other neighbors if they needed space for their food.
Late Morning:
I was ready to take my first cold shower since the power went out when Eric, a friend, dropped by. I threw my clothes back on to catch up with him—my first visitor besides Jennifer since the hurricane hit. Keep in mind, the power, wifi and cell phone service was down. Afterward, I finally got that shower around noon, then rested briefly before getting dressed again. It felt good to be clean, even if the water was cold.
At 12:45, I decided to make cacao on the gas stove—just like old times. I heated the honey and water, added 33g of honey, 40g of cacao, 1g of cinnamon, and 125g of water. With my warm drink in hand, I took it outside to enjoy with my book Cobalt Red. My dad stopped by at 2:00 to check in, and we caught up on everything. I had not heard from them since the storm wiped out communications via electricity, internet wires and cellular towers!
He invited me to his place, where he had a generator and Starlink internet. As much as I would’ve liked the internet to work on my blog, I didn’t feel the need to go just yet. We both guessed it might be 3-4 more weeks before power was fully restored in our area.
Afternoon:
By 2:30, I was back into Cobalt Red, finishing up a chapter, and then decided to take a walk up the street with my crutches. I stopped to chat with my neighbor Mike for a bit before heading back to the house. The day had a strange sense of stillness amidst the devastation—no phones, no internet, no regular routines—just a constant effort to adapt.
Evening:
Later that afternoon, around 3:00, I met up with my friend Jennifer to check on Thamar’s house. We also rode through town to see what other areas looked like. I spent the evening relaxing, reading, and catching up on Cobalt Red. The pain in my leg, unfortunately, seemed to plateau—it wasn’t getting worse, but it wasn’t improving much either. I hadn’t done my regular physical therapy for the last two days, and I knew I had to get back on track.
By 11:30, I was in bed, reflecting on the day and how the physical strain was catching up to me. My hip felt stiff, and I was worried about the next phase of healing.
Day 3: Sunday, 9/29/24
Morning:
Around 10:30, a new idea popped into my head: What if I could make a cappuccino with the espresso machine? I wasn’t sure it would work—pulling that much power through 250 feet of drop cord seemed risky. But the thought of enjoying a hot, frothy cappuccino was just too tempting to resist.
I decided to give it a try. First, I unplugged the fridge and freezer to avoid overloading the cord. When I plugged in the espresso machine, it sprang to life! There’s something special about the little things—like savoring a cappuccino in the aftermath of a hurricane—that can ground you, even when life feels chaotic. For a few moments, I was transported from the weight of the world back into my own small moment of joy, holding that steaming cup in my hands.
By 11:00, I was sitting in my recliner by the dining room window, listening to the sounds of birds and crickets. I cracked the window open slightly to let the fresh air in. Twice, a squirrel jumped onto the windowsill, eyeing the bird feeder filled with black sunflower seeds. After yelling at him twice, he finally gave up.
Cobalt Red was resting on my lap, and I was determined to finish it. But the more I read, the heavier my heart felt. The realities of life in the Congo weighed on me—the way people, especially children, are exploited, living and dying just to mine cobalt for a few dollars a day. One story, about a 14-year-old boy named Raphael, hit me especially hard. He had spent his days digging in tunnels and lost his life in a collapse. The story lingered with me long after I set the book down.
Midday:
Around 11:30, Rebekah dropped by with breakfast that her mother had cooked! After we ate, we decided to take a ride through the countryside. We left around 12:15, driving through Forest City and taking back roads all the way to Rutherfordton. We stopped by the coffee shop at 1:15 to say hello, then continued our journey, riding through Maple Creek, up Mountain Creek, and weaving through the back roads of Gilkey before arriving at my parents’ house in Sunshine. The long, winding route fed my spirit of adventure—there’s something about meandering through quiet roads, not needing to be anywhere in particular, that feels like medicine for the soul. It was a refreshing change of pace, a chance to be outside, even if I couldn’t physically do much.
Adventures like these remind me that life doesn’t always need a destination. Sometimes, the journey itself is the reward—a gentle way to reconnect with myself. Taking the long way isn’t just about travel; it’s about feeding that inner longing to explore and feel free, even in moments of recovery. We stayed at my parents’ house for about two hours enjoying the visit.
Evening:
By 6ish, I was home again. A new nurse came by to change my PICC line bandage and draw blood for labs. She was really kind and easy to talk to, and I appreciated the connection.
At 8:00, I was finally able to do 80 minutes of physical therapy in my living room. I hooked my radio up to the drop cord, and it felt amazing to have music back in my space. I ended the day driving to the office and making sure all my devices were charged. It was great to discover that the internet was back online at work.
Late Night:
By midnight, I was home again, reflecting on the long day. The hurricane aftermath was a new reality, and my body was feeling the strain. My hip still hurt, and I wasn’t sure what the next week would bring. I wanted to finish writing about these last few days and focus on my blog. Signing off around 2:40 a.m., I promised myself to get some rest before the next round of challenges.
Reflection:
The hurricane’s aftermath has left me in a strange place—not just physically, but emotionally too. It’s been an intense mix of pain management, navigating without power, and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy. Despite the setbacks, I’m continuing to push forward with my recovery, while also staying open to what each day brings. The storm is a reminder that everything can change in an instant, and sometimes, the only thing you can control is your mindset.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you made it to the end, I would love to hear from you! 
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu – May All Beings Be Happy and Free 