Meesh Moran shared this on Facebook, and gave us permission to repost. I loved it for the constructive way she spun her frustration into a positive action plan, and shared something helpful to everyone. My takeaway: my vehicle definitely needs emergency chips. Ironically, when I asked her permission to share, paving work in Squamish had traffic backed up to Murrin Park. It’s been a tough summer for anyone who’s had to travel back and forth. (Or for people living in most of BC with forest fires. Or… add to the list.) I think that’s what I appreciate so much about Meesh’s approach. I don’t think things are going to get easier. (Sorry.) Extreme weather is forecast, all over the world, as an outcome of human-caused climate change. We’re going to need to work on our preparedness, our adaptability and our ability to come together and support each other, even when we feel like going postal.

Over to Meesh:

“If the backups due to the Nordic paving [insert most recent applicable highway-related works delay] had you cursing like crazy you should rethink the situation, especially if it was a fire related evacuation. It took me just over 2.5hrs to get home tonight to Pemberton from the lookout at the bottom of power line hill (a couple km’s south of function, if even)… yes I was annoyed.

But the following made the wait a little more comfortable:

1. I used a washroom before heading North.

2. I had extra water and a reserve bag of chips in my car (obviously there’s chips in my car)

3. Music

4. More than half a tank of gas (something I religiously practice the winter and now adapting to summer)

5. An almost fully charged phone (note to self; make sure there’s a charging cord in the car always).

6. A bunch of other random first-aid objects and goods that live in my car permanently

After Lytton I packed some bags of things I’d want if someone knocked on my door at 10pm and told me to leave.

Not being around so much this summer might have made me more precocious then necessary but we’ve been so lucky in the coast this year and what’s happening not that far away is sickening. I don’t think anyone can be too prepared right now.

One thing I can say for certain right now though is that it’s really nice to listen to the rain and I hope it’s bringing some relief to those fighting all the fires right now.”

So, how’s your vehicle holding up as a preparedness vehicle? Gas tank full? Phone charger? A few important supplies, in case you suddenly had to survive on what was there, for a few hours, or even an overnight?