After terrifying us for 5 days, Irma made an unexpected turn north at the last moment and we were mostly spared. Some towns were hit very hard, most people lost power, a lot of branches were snapped and trees were uprooted, but the general feeling was that we dodged a bullet. People were safe and most crops were spared. In a little under 3 days we had power back at our house and full running water in 4 days. Some people weren't so lucky and spent over 10 days without electricity, so we would have friends over frequently to help them refrigerate food, charge cell phones, and take ice. We contributed to relief efforts and took care of the tree in the back (which survived) in case another hurricane struck. Nearly 2 weeks after Irma, things are finally almost back to normal.

And now Maria's on its way.

I'm not really scared or stressed this time. I'm just tired and annoyed. Sad when I think of what this could mean to people who are more vulnerable than I am and must have been so relieved after Irma. Frustrated when I think of what it means for the economy, for any improvements to infrastructure that may have been on the drawing board. But for the most part, I just want to get it over with. I wish I could tell Maria that tonight is good, there's no need to stall, so that we can deal with the aftermath as soon as possible.

And just like with Irma, I find myself missing the hurricanes of my childhood. I'm not usually nostalgic for "the good old days". I don't complain about "adulting" (I actually enjoy it, for the most part). But good God, I wish I could just be excited about missing school, fascinated by all the work the adults were doing, glad that the tub was full and the plants were inside the house, giving me new settings to play in with my toys. I wish I were hearing stories of the hurricanes my grandparents lived through, and thinking "Wow, now *I'm* going to have a story tell!" I wish I only had a vague idea of how the effects of this extend beyond my immediate circle, and how really, amazingly fortunate it is that our lives and possessions are secure. Most of all, I wish I were fully confident that some other human has this under control. Knows what to do. Is going to make sure everything's fine.

Anyone else dealing with this?