ready to run
even though i was far away from flames (but not the choking smoke), i still got prepared to split, nervous about the red burn areas encompassing me on the map. and my mom's sage advice (which explains alot, actually, about my attitude in life i think) rang true to me at that moment: "if you feel threatened, you do what you gotta do and get outta there." i think i do that a lot in life, anyway. hence the hitting-people-in-bars phase.
i of course grabbed the necessary passport, insurance, official documents, etc. but then there were the things in the "everything else" category that, in retrospect, were reflective of my life. in no particular order:
* photos and keepsakes (and the accompanying hernia... holy heaviness, there were a lot of those)
* paintings and glass stuff done by my mom. (which, apparently, she left at her own house... psh).
* mix-n-match clothes, knowing i would probably have to go to work, and maybe a wedding. this was a step my mom skipped, and was describing herself as an unfashionable refugee.
* karate gear... replaceable, but worth a couple hundred $, so might as well grab it.
* recipe box :)
* exercise band, to avoid boredom.
* library books, to avoid late fees.
* and most importantly, the picture i made at the first whisp of smoke. it's a pic of the fam, and the pets, and the house, and my angel grandparents each protecting a corner of our home...
you have to be specific with the universe, sometimes.
current mood: thanks, grandma and grandpa!