I was just starting high school when Katrina hit. I am the oldest in a family of five. When we evacuated it felt like any other Hurricane evacuation; you only packed 3 outfits, put valuables high up just incase it flooded an inch, and boarded up all the windows and doors. First we headed to shreveport where we accompanied by my mother\'s sister and her family. August 29, 2005 I was sitting in the hotel room while watching the news and thats when my life changed. I saw the waters flowing in and nothing was stopping it. My parents didn\'t want me to witness this , but I watched it anyway. It wasn\'t until we went to Sunrise Beach, Texas ,where some of our family lives, that I found out Arabi had been flooded. I didn\'t want to believe it because my family and I live so close to the river. Later on that day I found out that it was true; my house had been flooded with 8ft of water. I cried for hours. I thought to myself, \" A fourteen year old shouldn\'t have to put up with this.\" God was listening to me because that night a church group heard that we were staying with my family and came to the house. They brought us 3 bags of clothes, shoes, etc. This is when ifirst witness my dad cry. He was so happy to see that no matter where you go there will be people there to help you along the way. We were so grateful for the generous people that gave us this. \r\nOur new chapter began in Prairieville, Louisiana. We lived in a house with my mom\'s sister and her family. It was so tight that my whole family of five had to share one little tiny bedroom. I went to high school at Dutchtown High. The kids there were so nice to me even though I had about 2 or 3 people tell me to go back home and that they didn\'t want me there I just ignored them because after all yes, I wanted to go home ,but there was nothing I could do about it. I made so many new friends that meant the world to me and my best friend, since we were young, Amber ended up moving to Prairieville with me so I had her. Even though I had all theses friends I was still depressed. There were nights when my parents wanted to kill me, I\'m sure. By the end of the year I didn\'t want to move back home to Arabi because my life was settled in Prairieville. I was a very sad good-bye again for me.\r\nWhen we moved back home the house was gutted and empty. We had a FEMA trailer in front the house and it was the smallest thing to fit a family of five. we were crammed again like in Prairieville. We lived in there about the whole summer until the house was finished. I went back to Cabrini High School where I started out in freshman year before Katrina hit. My life was back to normal and today on the anniversary I will not think about all the things I lost but all the new people got to meet. Hurricane Katrina helped me learn to be the person I am today. It has made my family and I a stronger family. Anything that comes my way I know how to deal with it.