We evacuated the Saturday before Katrina. The ironic thing is, I had no intention on leaving the city. That morning, my sister called me and said we would be going to Baton Rouge. I didn\'t think the storm would hit, besides I was on my way to. Target and Barnes and Noble. My sister continued to call me, so I left my shopping to return home to pack.\r\n\r\nOn my way home, my friend called and she told me I could come to her job (Baptist Hospital) and. ride out the storm with her. That sounded perfect to me because I would not have to evacuate. However, my friend told me I would have to park my car on the street. This no longer sounded like a good idea, because I wasn\'t familiar with the neighborhood. \r\n\r\nI packed 3 pairs of underwear, 3 sundresses, and the Nina Simone autobiography I had just purchased from the book store. I left my home in Gentilly and headed to my sister\'s home in New Orleans East. We made it safely to Baton Rouge a little bit after 1:00 in the afternoon. We would stay at my cousin\'s home in Baton Rouge for the next six days watching tv and crying, wondering what would become of our city.\r\n\r\nMy friend who stayed behind at Baptist Hospital? She ended up at the Superdome and the Convention Center amidst the chaos and despair. I often think back of how that could have been me and how something as simple as a parking space may have saved my life.