I've been wondering what led people not only to this site but to their interest in preparedness in general. I'm guessing there are some good stories here, so if you'd like to share yours, please do!

As for me, there are really two reasons that I'm here. The first one is an interesting story. The second I probably share in common with most people here.

A couple of years ago, during the good ole dot-com boom, I decided to do something I've always dreamed of and go to Antarctica. There were a couple of companies that plan expeditions there, so some friends and I got together, spent a year planning, and then flew to Ushuia, Argentina, to board a boat that we had arranged for the trip. The trip was a total blast, we explored tiny islands, climbed glaciers, and sailed around the Antarctic Penisula. We were real Shackleton-wannabes. Sounds like fun, no? Well, it was until someone in our group fell off a glacier and was catastrophically injured. We were literally thousands of miles from a hospital, not near any of the scientific bases, and our satellite phone wasn't getting reception. One of our crew was an EMT who treated the victim for shock, but what we really needed was to find a doctor. We spent 3 days sailing to Palmer Station, the closest base with a physician but only the most basic medical facilities. They were wonderful to us, but of course, the doctor's advice was get this person to a hospital ASAP.

We had purchased Medivac insurance before we left. It's considered a necessity because an emergency rescue from Antarctica can easily run into the $100,000+ range. But, the weather was so bad, they couldn't fly a piper in from Chile. So, we had to sail back to Argentina in a storm, and she was eventually medivaced back to the US, hospitalized for the next month, and bed ridden for well over a year, having splintered most of the major bones in her left leg and foot, along with other assorted injuries.

What I can say about this trip is that there is nothing so awful as seeing someone you're very close with injured and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Aside from deciding to keep our adventures closer to home for the foreseeable future, I also decided to become a little more responsible and see what the experts had to say about being prepared, which led me here. I really thought that we had planned our expedition well, but the truth is, it was just a disaster waiting to happen.

I just realized how long this is -- sorry for that. The second reason I'm here is just that my way of dealing with 9/11 is making myself feel more prepared for the next round, which I think a lot of other people here will understand. I think there is a big psychological benefit to feeling prepared. I certainly feel like I've learned a tremendous amount reading the posts on this site, so thanks to all you guys for the free education!