I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Even though I consider Daytona my “home” since I spend most of my time here (due to school), Houston will always be home. Now, going to school far away from home has its pros and cons, but when emergencies strike, there are so many more cons of being away from home.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in south Texas over a week ago and then proceeded to stall over Houston for several days in which it caused massive flooding. In fact, several news agencies have pointed out that there was enough rain in Houston during Harvey to run Niagara Falls for almost two weeks.

Last week, my house took on several feet of water. It was tough not being there with my family as they dealt with the significant flooding. I felt useless and helpless, but thankfully, I was able to take a trip home to help my parents and friends with the clean up over Labor Day weekend. It was pretty surreal walking around my neighborhood and home, but I am very glad that I was able to be there with them. I am extremely thankful that my family is safe and that I got to spend some time with them.

Regardless if you are going to school 2 miles away from home or more than a thousand miles, communicating with your professors when family emergencies strike goes a long way as they will be understanding and willing to assist in whatever way they can.