Shake Shack

I'm a-scared to go home Thursday.

Los Angeles just had a 5.4 earthquake and I HATE earthquakes. I was in the Northridge Earthquake in 1994 and was traumatized for months afterward. You know when someone freaks out and all you want to do is slap them and scream, "Get a hold of yourself"? I was the one who needed the beating and my mother was the punisher. I wanted to sleep in the living room with my whole family afterwards, my leg would twitch outside of my control and eventually we ended up moving away from Southern California (only to return two years later).

The strange thing was, the night before the quake I had one of the greatest nights of my then 11-year-old life. It was a three-day weekend so I was sleeping over at my neighbor and closest friend's house. We stayed up really late choreographing and filming a dance to Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and Sting's "All for Love" from the "Three Musketeers" and then we watched movies (most likely our favorites, The Burbs and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and ate junk food. I performed Rod Stewart's part, by the way.

At 4:31 a.m. I was woken up by the sound of a loud bang, the ground shaking violently and the windows rattling. Shortly thereafter, my friend and I were being pelted by books flying off the shelves in their living room. After it was over, I remember screaming my friend's mother's name over and over again in total agony. Thankfully, my house was just down the street and my family came to get me (and slap me). We slept in our Aerostart that night, right after I peed all over myself that is. For a few days we survived on a strict diet of Pop Tarts and Sunny Delight while sitting outside and riding the aftershocks.

The last time I felt an earthquake was in 2003 when I was home for Christmas, and that was enough to stop my heart. I just really hope when I'm home (planning on having a few more 'greatest nights ever' hopefully involving Rod Stewart) there will be no earthquakes to speak of.