You've Got 10 minutes..what do you take?

Most of the world knows of the devastating fires that have hit Southern California this past week. In the 10 months I have lived here, wildfires, multiple wildfires have not been something I have been able to get used to. Sure, in Colorado there were plenty of wildfires, especially in such a dry climate. But for some reason they always seemed very far away, up in the mountains, started by some careless smoker, or camper who doesn't know proper routine procedures for putting out their campfire. Living in an area that can have fire jump freeways, and pick out houses at random to burn has been a big lesson for me, and has left me in awe.

As I spent the weekend, and the last few days checking out fire coverage, I have been attracted to many human interest pieces. Stories of people who had to flee the infernos, only to come back to nothing. People who were told they had 10 minutes to grab what they could and then were forced to leave the place that they had called home for the last 10, 20, sometimes 30+ years, not knowing what they would see when they return.  This obviously has left me wondering...if it happened to us, in those 10 minutes, what would I grab?

A co-worker of mine was recently forced to do just this. His house was in the Porter Ranch area, where fires raged, and he could see the smoke from his backyard. When he was allowed to go back home, and thus, back to work, he told us of how you just grab odd stuff at random. Not really thinking to clearly, but knowing you have to grab what you can, even if it doesn't logically make sense. I remember him telling me he grabbed a sweater, and swim trunks. Neither a great combo with the other, but with your mind thinking a thousand different thoughts, you aren't sure what you reach for. It has left me wonder...in those 10 minutes, what would I grab? 

At first, I thought this answer was easy. Only a few key things I obviously need. The animals, our important papers, my hubby of course, and that's it. But as I went through an inventory of what to grab, I realized how many things hinge on having something else. For example, my little cutie furball, is the most high maintenance cat I know. She takes thyroid meds, and has fancy kidney formula type cat food for her failing kidneys. Could I flee, without wanting to bring some of this stuff (yes I would know there would be vets wherever we ended up..but would I want to risk not having this stuff.

And other stuff hit me. For example, we have a few computers..but my instinct was, on the list we would have to bring our laptop. A nice little macbook, easy to be portable. But it also left me wondering if I would want to grab Doug's extra hard-drives, where all our most precious memories of 7 years together are saved. I of course would want them too!

And then, there is the little things you wonder if you would want to bring. For example, I am blind as a bat without my contacts on, which I routinely have been taking out more at night to rest my eyes. I of COURSE would want to bring my contact stuff right.

The truth...a good portion of the stuff we would not want to live without..is actually back in our house in Colorado. When I asked Doug if/what he would bring his answer was nothing. I thought it was odd, until he reminded me the same thing "Jess, all the stuff I really would worry about is at home in Colorado." So truth...other than the animals...everything else would totally be replaceable here, and even if I could think of 300 other things I would want to throw in the car, I would only really miss our meow meows if I couldn't bring them. But it really does leave ya wondering...what would you bring, if you had 10 minutes to gather your life, before evacuating?