I moved to New Orleans by myself in the spring of 2000, and soon fell in love with the city while sinking deep roots into the heart and soul of her. At the time of Katrina, I was living in a rather run-down shotgun house on the WestBank with my chow-rottweiler dog, Ginger. Being from the West, I had never lived in a shotgun house before and the experience was unique and enjoyable although if there had been any other people living in the house, I would not have enjoyed the lack of privacy one endures with a house in which everyone has to traipse through bedrooms to get to the kitchen and bathroom. I soon found out that this house also happened to be on a street notorious for walking drunks and catcalls from passing motorists - I experienced all of the above frequently and was looking for somewhere else to live when Hurricane Katrina struck. \r\n\r\n On August 26th, 2005, after finishing my first week back at UNO, I loaded my trunk with things important to me, loaded up Ginger and all her paraphernalia, and headed to Algiers to join up with a caravan of my friends who were headed to Texas to a relatives\' house near Houston. This house was a huge blessing for the week there - 2 floors and 5 empty bedrooms to spread out our group. I managed to enjoy a room alone with Ginger which was a luxury compared to how many others had to endure the days of evacuation. This house was also located right on a small pond with lots of undeveloped land surrounding it so all of our dogs greatly enjoyed the adventure. I remember staying up all night prior to Katrina making landfall just glued to the television coverage. As Monday, the 29th progressed, I could not hold back the tears as I watched the destruction being meted out to this city I so loved. I think I must have cried for 3 days straight for myself, for my friends, for the city, for strangers who were lost - for all the loss of everyone.\r\n\r\n By Saturday, the friends I was with were determined to return to New Orleans to begin relief efforts as they were ministers at a local church. We drove through the night and by morning began encountering the checkpoints the military had set up. Each gas station we stopped at was full of disappointed people who had been turned back at the checkpoints and told there was no re-entry being allowed at this time. We keep praying and driving. At the first checkpoint, we told the National Guard there why we needed back in the city - in order to start relief work, my friends needed their trucks, generators, chain saws, etc. The guard said he would let us through this checkpoint but he didn\'t think they would let us through the next 2 checkpoints. Only by the grace of God were we allowed through the next checkpoints and we entered the WestBank and begin seeing the destruction as we drove to Algiers. I knew this was the least damaged area of Greater New Orleans and that knowledge led to grief as I saw the houses and trees destroyed knowing it was so much worse elsewhere. It was such a surreal feeling being in this deserted city because it seemed like we were the only ones out and driving around other then National Guard and law enforcement. In reality, I felt extremely safe for most of the day as Huey helicopters flew over every half hour checking on us because there was so little movement in the city. The safe feeling continued until we heard gunfire late afternoon. We later found out this was an exchange between the National Guard and criminal snipers. We had a curfew of 5 pm to get out of the city so had hurried to our various residences to gather the items we needed. The shotgun house I was renting only had rain and wind damage but enough that many of my belongings were soaked and ruined - but since I had taken the things most important to me, the loss was the least of my worries. What was I going to do for school? Where was I going to live? Who would I be with or would I be alone? Some of these questions were soon to be answered as I talked with a friend of mine via cell phone.\r\n\r\n My friend and her elderly mother had been out of town the weekend of Katrina and had been unable to take important documents, etc. with them that they needed once they realized their house on the beach in Biloxi had been completely washed out to sea with nothing left but the pilings. Finally I knew what to do for the next few days at least and that was more direction than I had yesterday. I loaded the car with essentials for me and for them and drove to Georgia to meet up with them and give them their things. However, once I got there, I was so sick they immediately took me to the hospital where I was admitted for 3 days for dehydration, exhaustion, and asthma. I spent the next 10 days in and out of the ER and hospital and time was running out for me to get back into college so I decided that Georgia must be where God planned me to be for the near future. This was confirmed when Columbus State University welcomed me and immediately registered me for classes. This University was 45 miles away from where my friends decided to rent an apartment and stay, so we decided I should get an apartment close to the University and avoid the 45 mile drive to school every day. When my car was stolen and totaled from the parking lot of the apartment 6 weeks later, I decided to move to the town where my friends were and just commute to the college. This was the best choice I could have made, and I was finally able to settle in at an apartment in the Whispering Pines Apartment Community and feel safe. This apartment was tucked into a wooded area that was beautiful and safe! I enjoyed the hospitality of Georgia which was wonderful (other than my car getting stolen) until January of this year when I was finally able to come home to New Orleans. At the present, I am back sharing a home with my friends while trying to patiently await the completion of a studio apartment for myself and Ginger.\r\n