So... where to start? There's so much to tell, so much that need to be said, yet there aren't many words to express what's going on here in my beloved city, with people around me, with family members. Everything feels different, nothing brings the same joy as it used to and suddenly you feel unsafe everywhere you might be.
About a week and a half ago many lives changed in the blink of an eye when an earthquake hit not only my city but many other around us, no one could have ever imagined that an earthquake that strong would hit the same day we commemorated the ones that died in a similar event just 32 years before.
Yes, it was the second strong earthquake in less than a month, and like me, many people have ever felt this scared to go outside, to be inside their home, to not see their loved ones after they left out sight, because that day many lost memories, housing and even family members, friends, partners and pets.
You never imagine something like that happening to you, not even when they teach you what to do, not even when you see images of everything that happened 32 years ago. I can now tell you certainly that I've never been more afraid for my family and friends and that kind of fear doesn't go away easily.
I've always been pretty good when it came to all of this cases, I never let fear take over, but this past two earthquakes made me fear my life, but the ones that were around me. In the first one I was dead asleep and as soon as I felt it I went to check up on my grandma and parents, something inside me told me to stay calm for them and luckily we were all fine and together.
The second one was weaker in theory, but felt worst, I was with my grandma, I was watching "RuPaul's Drag Race" when everything started moving, I went to her bedroom, told her to roll off of her bed and stayed besides her until it stopped. I was shaking when it ended, I wasn't able to call my parents for the next three hours and I've never been happier to see my dad come home and then pick up my mum, knowing that my family and friends were okay became my number one priority that day.
I'm privileged, nothing happened to me or any family members, I have a home and access to what right now seems a luxury, I have never felt more grateful for what I have and what I can give.
It's been almost two weeks and after going to help to shelters, gathering centers and donating everything I could, I still feel like I haven't done enough, there's so much to do, so much to give and so much more to go.