Can storm evacuation be an adventure?

With cats it can be!

I live in beautiful Sarasota, Florida—a city that truly has it all. With inviting beaches, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, and a vibrant arts scene that includes a world-class opera company, symphony orchestra, ballet company, botanical gardens,  excellent live theater, and numerous art galleries and museums, there's always something to enjoy.

I work from home and share my space with my two cats, Pierre and Edith Piaf. You guessed it—I’m a Francophile! 

Life here is wonderful—sunshine, beaches, culture. We've been spared 

But, then came Milton.

Hurricane Milton, along with the evacuation order for my zone given only one day before landfall was expected. I was prepared to secure everything and hunker down with my kitties, who love to take turns lounging on my lap. At an elevation of 20 feet, we’ve never had to evacuate for a storm before. Our solid concrete building is equipped with top-notch hurricane windows, so I hadn’t planned to leave.

How do you figure out what you can let go of and what you’ll deeply miss if it’s gone for good? With no time to waste, I started gathering everything that came to mind: my wedding album, my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding album, treasured family photos on the wall that aren’t saved on my computer, commemorative silver ornaments celebrating each of my children’s births, and a miniature Eiffel Tower I brought back from Paris in 2009.

Of course I also packed the chicken and hard boiled eggs I had cooked in advance, tuna, snacks and a few good bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.

That was the easy part.

The hard part?