I am a military veteran and I recently moved from New Jersey to Texas. I think I’m pretty flexible and I’ve been able to balance the time zone difference, my family life, and my four classes, including Honors sections pretty well, but then a massive storm hit Texas on February 13.
There was snow and record-breaking freezing temperatures. I know back in New Jersey there has been a sequence of snowstorms this winter, but the state is prepared for that. It was clear the state of Texas wasn’t prepared at all. There hasn’t been an arctic cold like this since 1989. There are no plows for snow nor salt to keep the roads from icing.
It started on Sunday night when the power went out. Fortunately, I’m living with my sister and her family who had a fireplace that kept us from freezing. But we also had to keep my sister’s 3- and 6-year-olds under blankets and by the fire, and little kids do not like to stay put.
We all slept in the living room and took turns sleeping so someone could keep the fire going. It wasn’t long before supplies ran low and we had to head out to try to buy more firewood.
On Monday the power briefly came back on for two hours, and I used that time to check in with my Anatomy teacher and take an exam. Trying to take a test in frigid temperatures made it hard to concentrate and the fear of the power going back out doubled the pressure.
By Tuesday, there was still no power and we had to get groceries. We also had to cook outside on the grill since my sister’s appliances are all electric. I was still trying to keep up with classes and luckily had phone service to be able to do the Zoom classes from my phone.
But by nightfall, the wind chill made the temperature outside -3 degrees. The temperature in the house dropped to under 40 degrees, and we realized we needed to get the children somewhere safer.
Since my sister’s husband is in the Army, he had friends that lived close enough that we were able to go there and stay a couple of nights. This was great for me as well because I had another exam to take on Wednesday.
It wasn’t until six days after the storm that our power came back on and we were able to go home. We still didn’t have running water and my sister’s pool pump cracked, but we were happy to be in our own house.
Facing these kinds of struggles tests your faith and the ability to push through them makes you stronger and appreciative. I appreciate being safe now, I appreciate the professors who worked with me, and I appreciate being able to do my school work in normal conditions now.
