At the start of the Palisades Fire, I was 2,000 miles across the country, visiting family in Cleveland over break. We were only there for two days when my friends broke the news to me that there was a small brush fire in the Palisades. I didn’t think much of it, but as the day went on, it grew into what we know now as the Palisades fire. Over the next few days, I was anxious, terrified, and in complete shock at the destruction and demolition the fire had caused in such little time. Many of my friends’ houses were in jeopardy, I was very concerned. Each day brought more paranoia. I checked in daily on the fire through the news, and my friends who were still in LA, I was monitoring the fire and texting my friends for most of the day at this point. 

I felt helpless. It was like sleep paralysis. You’re just laying there, witnessing the terrors around you, helpless to do anything, unable to move, stuck, powerless. There was nothing anyone could do, no way to help, no way to protect my own house. In the end, my house survived the fire, but it was terrifying being so far from home at this time. There was so much uncertainty. I wanted to return to LA to address everything going on, but it would’ve been a terrible idea to go home at that time. We ended up extending our stay in Cleveland to keep away from the constant devastation. Once we returned, everything felt so dull and depressing. It was a really difficult time. Though my property and possessions weren’t greatly affected, my mental health was. Thinking of all the memories I made in the Palisades, memories at Pali with my friends, all of the sentiments connected to this wonderful community, all burned to ash. Zoom school doesn’t make it any better. It’s isolationism, nearly a repeat of COVID, devoid of social interaction. After some time, we all have learned to come to terms with reality and continue to mentally recover. I’m still devastated and shocked by the pure trauma and hell that these fires have brought, but it’s time to push forward. Persistence and resilience is key.

Edited by Kylie Lupescu and Nico Troedsson