Growth as a Prepper

It Gets Easier

When Hurricane Isabel hit the week before we got married, I had been "asleep" for a couple of years.  After Y2K, my urge to prep had kind of left me, and I never thought about it.  Our area was devastated by Isabel, but fortunately, we were able to get to my Dad's and take showers thanks to his generator, and we ate out most meals that week without power.  I then had not just myself, but also my bride to think about.

When Tropical Storm Gaston came through the following year, I was more aware, and had started to think more about prepping.  Our area was again devastated, but I felt like we were moving in the right direction with prepping.  I wasn't going 100mph to get ready for some possible event, I was gradually getting ready for whatever might come.  Slowly but surely, like the Little Engine That Prepped.

Over the next few years, we got generators, food, water, defense, a garden, and skills.  We weathered (no pun intended) ice storms, nearby tornadoes, more hurricanes and tropical storms, and even a derecho.  We also worked Dave Ramsey's plan to get out of debt, suffered some family losses and severe illnesses, and still lived our lives.  Each potential disaster that hit us got a little easier to handle and make it through.

Last week, even as Hurricane Sandy bore down on us, potentially bringing devastation and disaster to us yet again, we were probably in the best shape to withstand her fury that we have ever been in.  And wouldn't you know it, she left us relatively unscathed before hitting our neighbors to the north really hard.  had she hit, we'd be fine.  The generators would keep us comfortable.  Our stored food and water would keep us fed and hydrated.  Our life would be a little inconvenienced, but not like it was after Isabel.

I'm very confident in our preps to bring us through any number of disasters.  There is still more we need to do... being a prepper is an ongoing lifestyle, not a one shot deal... but we are making it.  If you are new to prepping or hitting a wall of some sort, slow down, take a deep breath, think about where you are and where you want to be, and make it happen.  Next time you get hit by a disaster (personal, local, regional or world-wide), you'll be better off than you would have been if it hit today.