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MIAMI LIVING 35 CRUNCH Uniting its members and Miami Beach Words by Carole Steinhauser There goes summer 2017! As usual summer was fun, filled with excitement, travel, and new adventures. It was everything we wished for and enough to completely throw us off our regular routines. As if packing on a few pounds from the delicious summer desserts wasn't enough, Hurricane Irma threw us South Floridians for a total loop right before we could get excited about all things pumpkin and fall. Our world as we knew it stopped. We lived in fear and preparation for days, moved furniture, carried our belongings to safe havens, and many of us drove miles and miles out of Florida to escape. It wasn't just the heavy physical involvement in the preparation period that made us sore like no workout ever, it was also the fear and the emotional load of caring for our loved ones and our homes that laid heavy on our shoulders. Then came the aftermath: trees everywhere, no traffic lights, no street lights, no electricity or water in our homes, distorted cell phone and internet services and more. In brief, life as we knew it, had taken a major turn and we faced more challenges than ever to get back to our regular lives. This year, there was no bouncing back into the school year and getting back to work and gym time for parents. Kids were out of school for over two weeks and school had barely even started before the hurricane. Healthy food choices became close to impossible. There were curfews because driving or being outside was too dangerous without traffic and street lights. Businesses were closed indefinitely without power. Some businesses weren't even able to bounce back. So how did we as individuals bounce back? What are the lessons learned on how to bounce back after not just a busy and fun summer, but a major natural disaster?