Today marks the fifth anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti.
In the late afternoon of January 12th 2010, the crimson Caribbean sunset drew me to the roof of the Port-au-Prince hotel we were staying in.
That’s the reason I’m alive today.
The earthquake killed ~316,000 people, including everyone who was inside my hotel at the time.
I don’t have the words to express how fortunate I feel to still be here. My roommate and business partner, Andrew, and I were so incredibly lucky to survive.
1,825 days have now passed. I’ve been lucky enough to laugh at dinner parties and hug those I love. Most of those days have been spent building a team and a product I’m passionate about. Firebase has flourished and is now a part of Google.
I haven’t been back to Haiti yet. I’ll go. I now have the means to help and intend to.
I still wear the crystal necklace my mother gave me everyday (background on that and my journal entry about the earthquake is here). It is a reminder of that island and a subtle prompt to not take each day for granted.
I’m going to watch the sunset tonight. It’s going to be beautiful.