I read the news about the earthquake in California and my heart just sank with fear I know exactly what that feels like In February 2023 I had to experience one of the strongest earthquakes in Turkey I lived near the city where it happened and I still can t forget how the house shook It was a real nightmare I couldn t even breathe it felt like the world around me was collapsing In that moment I was frozen not understanding what was happening thinking that everything was about to fall apart A sense of complete helplessness overwhelmed me and every second felt like an eternity I couldn t control anything Even when the shaking stopped I was still in shock My mind refused to comprehend reality and I couldn t figure out what to do next Panic took over me The fear was so strong I thought I wouldn t survive it You realize how insignificant you are in the face of nature s power There s nothing you can do and that s the scariest feeling knowing that your life could be destroyed in an instant