More Happier: Happiness Lessons from Evacuation: When We Have to Leave Home Fast

Summary

Podcast Summary: Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Episode: More Happier: Happiness Lessons from Evacuation: When We Have to Leave Home Fast
Release Date: February 8, 2025

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Introduction

In this heartfelt episode of Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Gretchen Rubin and her cohost, Elizabeth Craft, delve into Elizabeth's personal experience of evacuating from the wildfires in Los Angeles. The conversation is rich with practical advice, emotional insights, and lessons learned from navigating such a crisis. The episode not only offers valuable tips for preparedness but also explores the emotional resilience required during emergencies.

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Gratitude for Home and Information Sources

Appreciation of Home
Gretchen begins by expressing newfound gratitude for her home after being evacuated for six nights due to the wildfires.

[01:30] Gretchen Rubin: "Being home. Yeah, as we have talked about, these fires were horrible. So many people weren't able to go home. We were gone for six nights. But now we're home. And I've never appreciated my house more, I can tell you that."

Staying Informed
Elizabeth shares how crucial access to timely information was for her emotional well-being during the evacuation.

[02:13] Elizabeth Craft: "Living in New City and you gave me a link so that I could watch the local news in Los Angeles, KCAL 5 and that was really great because I would just throughout the day tune in and that made me feel more close to just whatever the experience was that you were going through. And that was very comforting to me."

Gretchen emphasizes the importance of knowing your local news sources to stay updated.

[02:49] Gretchen Rubin: "Being home. And the local news. And there's been a lot of talk in LA, Gretchen, about how well the local news did. I mean, these people were out there 15 hours a day. They were facing flying embers. They really put themselves out there, and it was much appreciated."

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Lessons from Evacuation

1. Knowing Your Evacuation Zone

Understanding your specific evacuation zone is crucial for timely and organized departures.

[03:20] Gretchen Rubin: "The first thing I'm going to say, which I did not do until the last possible second because it didn't even occur to me, was find out if you're in any kind of situation like this, figure out what zone you're in."

2. Reliable Information Sources

Relying solely on emergency alerts can be unreliable. Instead, proactively seek information through trusted platforms.

[05:43] Gretchen Rubin: "Which really brings me to my next thing. Know your sources of information."

She recommends using apps like WatchDuty and maintaining communication through groups like WhatsApp for real-time updates.

[05:54] Elizabeth Craft: "Yes."

[07:05] Gretchen Rubin: "And people who know people in the police department or the fire department or government, so they have information. And that was incredibly useful."

3. Preparing a Go Bag

Having a pre-packed go bag ensures that essential items are readily available, reducing decision fatigue during emergencies.

[10:02] Gretchen Rubin: "Everybody should have a go bag. We call it packed. So in that bag you want to have a week worth of medicine... clothes, shoes, some cash, a refillable water bottle, etc."

She highlights the importance of making a comprehensive list to avoid forgetting critical items.

[10:54] Elizabeth Craft: "Decision making is tough, and the more stress you're under, the harder it is."

4. Hotel and Accommodation Planning

Identifying potential evacuation sites in advance, especially those that accommodate pets, can streamline the evacuation process.

[13:08] Elizabeth Craft: "Do you think that having it on your 25 for 25 list helps?"

[13:24] Gretchen Rubin: "Yes. That narrows it down."

5. Car Management During Evacuation

Effective car management can prevent delays and ensure smooth evacuation. Gretchen advises parking your car on the sidewalk if you must abandon it and leaving the keys to facilitate emergency vehicle access.

[15:14] Gretchen Rubin: "If you do have to leave your car, pull it over... leave your keys."

She also cautions against leaving evacuation to the last minute to avoid traffic bottlenecks.

[16:20] Gretchen Rubin: "But because everyone's trying to get out of it at the same time, when these evacuations happen, it can take a really long time to go a short distance."

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Managing Emotions and Mental Resilience

Elizabeth and Gretchen discuss the emotional challenges faced during evacuation. Elizabeth found solace in keeping her dogs with her, which provided emotional comfort despite the logistical challenges.

[20:48] Gretchen Rubin: "Our two dogs, Nacho and Daisy, were really helpful for the emotional state."

Elizabeth reflects on the importance of maintaining connections and finding comfort in small routines, like walking the dogs, to manage stress.

[22:12] Gretchen Rubin: "They got a lot of walks."

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Maintaining Habits Amidst Crisis

The conversation touches on the difficulty of maintaining personal habits, such as Elizabeth skipping her usual Orange Theory workouts during evacuation. However, she found ways to resume her routines post-evacuation by setting clear targets.

[23:10] Elizabeth Craft: "I couldn't put those two things together. So it just wasn't happening."

[24:01] Gretchen Rubin: "For me, the target is everything. That just works for me."

Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of flexibility and self-compassion when disruptions occur.

[25:25] Gretchen Rubin: "Looking back, it's not as if I say, oh, I wish I'd worked that week. I mean, it just wasn't going to happen."

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Future Preparedness and Takeaways

Gretchen outlines key steps for future preparedness to ensure a calmer experience during emergencies:

1. Have a Go Bag Ready: Each family member should have a pre-packed bag.
2. Know Your Evacuation Zone: Understand the specific zones in your area.
3. Establish Reliable Information Channels: Join communication groups in advance.

[26:36] Gretchen Rubin: "For my future self, I would have every member of the family have a go bag packed at all times and have that list of things to pack."

Elizabeth suggests that listeners create and share their evacuation lists to foster community preparedness.

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Spotlight on Tools

Elizabeth introduces the Habits for Happiness quiz, a tool designed to help individuals identify the most impactful habits to cultivate for increased happiness.

[18:07] Elizabeth Craft: "This habit's for happiness quiz, in a very few number of questions, kind of miraculously reveals to you what would make the biggest difference in your life."

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Notable Quotes

• Gretchen Rubin:

  "[05:43] ... Know your sources of information."

• Elizabeth Craft:

  "[02:13] ... that made me feel more close to just whatever the experience was that you were going through."

• Gretchen Rubin:

  "[10:02] ... everybody should have a go bag."

• Elizabeth Craft:

  "[20:48] ... our two dogs were really helpful for the emotional state."

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Conclusion

This episode of Happier with Gretchen Rubin offers an insightful blend of practical preparedness tips and emotional resilience strategies drawn from Elizabeth Craft's firsthand experience during the LA wildfires evacuation. The conversation underscores the importance of proactive planning, reliable information sources, and emotional support systems in navigating emergencies. Listeners are encouraged to adopt these lessons to enhance their own preparedness and well-being.

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Stay Connected:
For more insights and resources mentioned in this episode, visit happiercast.com and share your evacuation lists with the community to foster collective preparedness.

Transcript

[Gretchen Rubin]

Gretch, you know, I am really trying to be healthier and I am succeeding, I want to say. But even though I'm trying to be healthier, that does not mean that I want to spend a ton on groceries. What I have found is that at Whole Foods Market, you can save every day even without a sale.

[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Lemonade.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Hello, we're here for more Happier a podcast where we get more of the happier podcast. It's Saturday. It's time for some weekend listening with a looser vibe. Hey, Elizabeth.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Hey, Gretch.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Today we'll talk about Elizabeth's experience of evacuating from the wildfires in LA and what she learned about preparation, happiness, dogs in hotels. But first, Elizabeth, something making us happier.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, for sure, Gretch. Being at home. Yeah, as we have talked about, these fires were horrible. So many people weren't able to go home. We were gone for six nights. But now we're home. And I've never appreciated my house more, I can tell you that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I bet.

[Gretchen Rubin]

How about you, Gretch?

[Elizabeth Craft]

You being at home? I'm so happy that you're at home.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Thank you.

[Elizabeth Craft]

You know, and one thing that made me happier during this period was I just couldn't get the information fast enough. Living in New City and you gave me a link so that I could watch the local news in Los Angeles, KCAL 5 and that was really great because I would just throughout the day tune in and that made me feel more close to just whatever the experience was that you were going through. And that was very comforting to me.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, that is a good tip for people that if someone you love is in a city where something like this is going on, check the websites of the local news because they often have links. I know that cause my sister in law, Olivia was on the local news in Phoenix so I could go on that website and watch her. So that's how I even knew to do that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah, it just didn't occur to me until you sent me the link. And then I was like, oh, My gosh, I'm looking at this thing all the time. This is a good example of how, you know, with gratitude, it's the things that are the most important to us, often that are the most likely to take for granted. Like, how often do you really think, oh, I just love my, you know, just being home.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Being home. And the local news. And there's been a lot of talk in la, Gretchen, about how well the local news did. I mean, these people were out there 15 hours a day. They were facing flying embers. They really put theirselves out there, and it was much appreciated.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Absolutely. So, Elizabeth, let's just jump in. There's something I've been meaning to ask you, which is about the evacuation. You had this huge experience. What did you learn? What emerged?

[Gretchen Rubin]

So I learned a lot. And, Gretch, I'll talk about it from what I learned from my very particular situation. Yeah. So, of course, everybody's situation is going to be slightly different. Different if you're dealing with a hurricane or a tornado. But I do think there are lessons that many people can take. So I will just tell you what I learned, as we mentioned, of course, I'm lucky because I left and then I came back.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That didn't happen for so many people. So this is really for the way it unfolded for me.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. The first thing I'm going to say, which I did not do until the last possible second because it didn't even occur to me, was find out if you're in any kind of situation like this, figure out what zone you're in. So everybody's house, at least in la, and I think in most places are in a certain zone. So mine, for instance, is Los Q 1118. And it wasn't that easy to figure out what zone we're in. So you want to do it when you have time and do it from the start and then know how to find your zone and see what's happening with your particular zone.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right. Because they'll say these people are under this order. And you're like, but I don't know if that's me.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And the thing that's confusing is a lot of times, if it's for evacuations, they'll say streets. And, like, north of this, south of this, east of this, you got to.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Run to a map. And yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Easier if you know your zone. Okay, next, Gretchen, related is don't necessarily rely on emergency systems to find you and alert you. Like the buzzing of the cell phone.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Because in la, what is the emergency system was Going haywire and not working properly. So people were getting a lot of alerts when they didn't actually need to evacuate. One time, I think the entire city got an alert.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And this was because of the fires.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. So because of the fires, the system wasn't working properly, which was the worst time, of course, for it not to work.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So I really, again, recommend finding that place where you can get information so.

[Elizabeth Craft]

You can look it up and be like, something's happening. Let me look up and see what's happening to me, rather than saying, okay, well, if something is important, somebody will let me know.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Exactly. Which really brings me to my next thing. Gretchen, which is know your sources of information. So everyone in LA was using an app called WatchDuty.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Which does wildfire tracking in 22 states, mostly the Western U.S. i mean, it's a nonprofit, but there is where you could really see exactly what was going on in real time. It had great information. What was also incredibly helpful for me was my mom's text chain. I'm in a mom's text chain group, and I got a lot of information from them. That's where you remember. I got news to go to the Garland Hotel. Someone had had to evacuate and gone there the night before. So I had that on my mind. I never would have thought of going there had it not been for my mom's text chain. And they knew it was dog friendly.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And can I just say, this is a good example of how strong relationships are really important. You know, we talk about that all the time. Like, they're such a key part of a happy life. And a big part of being happy is giving support and getting support through this connection. You were able, people gave support and you got support for what you needed in this very easy way.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And then another thing I had was a WhatsApp group with my small neighborhood, which I'm in, and which was super helpful because there's always those people who are just clued into the neighborhood.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, weren't there people who had ring cameras and they just have their own unique sources of information?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And people who know people in the police department or the fire department or government, so they have information. And that was incredibly useful. Like, for instance, I found out from my WhatsApp group that we could go back a good eight hours at least, before I would have found out through the news or some other source. So, again, the thing is, you don't want to have the emergency happen and then say, oh, is there a WhatsApp group I could join?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right. Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Join a group now so that when these things happen, you've already got it in place, right? Coming up, I'll talk more about what I learned. But first, this break.

[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah Gretch, I am all about Audible. I cannot get enough audiobooks. Right now I'm listening to Colored Television by Danzi Senna and I am obsessed with it. Plus on Audible you can find insight and expert advice on health, relationships, career, finance, so much more. Start listening today. Sign up for a free 30 day trial at audible.com Happier Dell Technologies is celebrating with anniversary savings on their most popular tech. For a limited time only. Save on select next gen PCs like the XPS 16, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and more. Unleash more possibilities with cutting edge systems, our most advanced features and great prices. Plus curate your dream setup with deals on select monitors, mice and more. Must have electronics and accessories.

[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, this is kind of an ongoing thing Gretchen. What I have realized from this situation is that everybody should have a go bag. We call it packed. So in that bag you want to have a weak worth of medicine. When I left I never thought I'd be gone for a week, but I was. You want to have clothes, shoes, some cash, a refillable water bottle, et cetera and just have that ready in your car or in a closet so for everyone in the family. So you can grab it if you really need to. Now the other thing is that usually you don't just grab your go bag, right? Usually you are going to have time to actually pack more than that to think about what you want to take. My adv advice is make a list because when this happened my mind was just all over the place. I couldn't think.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Sure. Of course it's the most incredibly stressful thing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So even if you Think it's obvious, like, oh, of course I'm not going to forget my son's medication. That's the most important thing. I did forget one of Jack's medicines, so make that list like medicine. What are the precious items for me? It's my blankie, my son's favorite stuffed animal. A wedding album.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Sure.

[Gretchen Rubin]

You think, Think. How would you forget these things, but you absolutely will.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, it's decision fatigue. Decision making is tough, and the more stress you're under, the harder it is and you have to think about. The wedding album is something that you might not have looked at for years. So make the list when you're in that cold, calm frame of mind.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And now for important papers, like, you know, birth certificate, marriage certificates, passports. I keep all of those in a firebox anyway in our house. Now I've actually put them in a big Ziploc bag in the firebox so that I can just grab that. But again, you want to write that down because you could easily forget it in a moment of panicking, right? Yeah. And one thing, Gretch, I mentioned, even though they say on TV when this is going on, bring enough for a week. I really was like, oh, we won't be gone for a week. I don't really need to bring that much. Like Adam brought, I think, like, three pair of underwear. But in fact, you really might be gone for a week, so bring enough for a week. I mean, you may be gone, unfortunately, much more, but that's something you can accomplish.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And why did you make that assumption?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, you know what I think it is that I knew other people who'd been evacuated in Hollywood, and they had just been gone for one night. So I think because they were gone for one night, I thought, okay, we'll get evacuated tonight. We'll come back tomorrow. But we were in a totally different type of location, dealing with something completely different. So what happened to them had absolutely nothing to do with our neighborhood, but I had that in my mind. Luckily, Gretch, I brought all of just my bottles of medicine, because I have them again in a big Ziploc bag because I just keep them there. So I just had put that in, which I was really happy about, because I take so much medicine, and I had taken, like, a lot of insulin with me, so that was good.

[Elizabeth Craft]

That's really smart.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. And, of course, Gretch, we were super lucky that we ended up in a hotel that had a good rate. Hotels were very busy. M one thing I would say, and I know Sarah's doing this is have a list of potential hotels you could go to to call.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Oh, like you need one that takes dogs.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. That narrows it down. Right?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And you want to know the different neighborhoods, because sometimes you can go one place, but you can't go to another based on what the emergency is. So it's good to have an idea.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And the hotel you picked was close to Jack's school?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So that was a positive.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. Some people went to Palm Springs, but then Jack wouldn't have been able to go to school, so.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Likewise, you could have friends where it's like, okay, if I have to evacuate, can I come to your house? If you have to evacuate, you can come to my house. If they don't live close by, obviously that's not going to work if you're in the same neighborhood.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Gretch, speaking of school, if you have kids, you want to think about whether or not you want to bring their school supplies. So this happened on a weekend, and Jack was like, where's a backpack I can use? And I said, just empty out your school backpack and bring that. Well, then he had to go to school, and he had no books. So you want to think about, does your kid need their books? Because even if you go somewhere far away, who knows what might happen? But there could be zoom school. So I would say bring your kids books.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And then all your devices, chargers, et cetera, you obviously want to bring. Now, Gretchen, again, this goes to the making a list of it all. I brought my computer, I brought headphones in case I had to podcast, but I didn't bring a mic.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Ah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Because I was just, again, so frazzled. Luckily, I was able to go to Chuck's and record. A huge part of my life is podcasting, so that would have been a real problem if I couldn't podcast.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right. And if it's on the list, you just grab it. But if you're frazzled, you don't think of it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Now, what about the car of it all? Now, to me, I don't use a car, but in most places in the United States, and people are dealing with a car. Any advice about the car of it all?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. So this came up a lot in Los Angeles in the Palisades. Something that happened is that it was such a rush to get out that some people actually ended up having to abandon their cars and just go on foot. And then the fire trucks couldn't get in because there were cars on the street, and they ended up having to bulldoze cars out of the way. So Something that I learned from this is if you do have to leave your car, pull it over, you know, pull it up onto the grass. I think we're so rule focused that it would never occur to us, like, oh, I could just park this on the sidewalk. Yes, but in that situation, you can. So I would pull it up onto the sidewalk. And also leave your keys. They say, please leave your keys again, something one would normally never do, but in this circumstance, they would like you to leave your keys. And related to the whole car of it, Gretchen, a lot of people think they have more time than they do. They think, oh, I can just pack and get ready until the last possible minute, and then I'll zip down, you know, to safety.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But because everyone's trying to get out of it at the same time, when these evacuations happen, it can take a really long time to go a short distance. So, you know, I think it's less than a mile from our house to Ventura Boulevard. And it probably took at least half an hour for us because cars were just inching down because every street, you know, was funneling cars. And plus, at times, you'd have to wait for emergency vehicles to go by.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So you don't want to leave it to the last minute. You don't want to be the person having to abandon your car because you waited.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Scary.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Now, the other thing on a lighter note, Gretchen, is that I do think there's two types of people. There's a type of people who sort of take a week worth of stuff and maybe a few other prized items and hope for the best. And then there are the people who fill their car to the brim. I have a friend, and it was my friend and her daughter. And so she was sort of like, okay, here's a, you know, a couple of duffel bags. Let's put in some photos, the dog food, whatever.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And her daughter was like, well, can I add this? Can I add this? And she's saying, okay, okay. She goes, well, by the end of it, she'd put in her sewing machine.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Everything she could possibly fit in. Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. So it's just funny. I think you always say, know yourself better. I think you're one type or the other. My family was very much in the, well, hopefully we'll be back camp.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

We didn't take that much.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Looking back, I'm sort of like, oh, I should have taken more.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Which is, again, why I want to have that list.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Interesting. Well, that is all very useful, and I think it's useful for people in a lot of different environments, not just facing the kind of natural disaster that you did, but all different kinds of natural disasters.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. I hope it helps. Okay. So, Gretchen, what is our spotlight on a tool this week?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, I wanna remind everybody about my super fun quiz, the Habits for Happiness quiz. If you are looking to change a habit and you're like, but what is the habit that would move the needle the most for me? Like, maybe I wanna do a lot of different things. Where should I start? This habit's foreh happiness quiz, in a very few number of questions, kind of miraculously reveals to you what would make the biggest difference in your life. And I think people are sort of astonished by how accurate it is. And you can find [e-mail] habitsquiz yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It'S a fun quiz. Very helpful.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

All right, Gretch, coming up, there's something else you've been meaning to ask me about being evacuated. But first, this break.

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Gretch, you know, I am really trying to be healthier and I am succeeding, I want to say. But even though I'm trying to be healthier, that does not mean that I want to spend a ton on groceries. What I have found is that at Whole Foods Market, you can save every day even without a sale. So I look for the yellow low price signs that will call out some of their most competitively priced items. And that can be chicken, ground beef, and so much more. So that I know, like I'm getting the best food, but I am not paying through the nose.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right. It's the combination we all want, which is really good prices and also really good quality products. Their House Brand365 by Whole Foods Market has tons of essentials at daily low prices as well. You can find these great prices in store and online, shop Whole Foods Market on Amazon and get free pickup and convenient delivery on all your wellness journey essentials terms apply. Save on your wellness routine with great everyday prices at Whole Foods Market. Okay, Elizabeth, this is something I've been meaning to ask you because we just talked about a lot of the Practical things. But how did you manage your emotions? Like, I would say that you sounded pretty calm to me as this was all unfolding. I'm sure you probably didn't feel that calm. How did you manage your mental state?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, one thing, Gretchen, is that, you know, our two dogs, Nacho and Daisy, were really helpful.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Oh, yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

For the emotional state. We did have a friend offer to take them so that we didn't have to have them in the hotel, but we really wanted them with us. And that goes against what I would have thought. Like, if you asked me, are you a person who'd want to have your two dogs in a hotel for six days when you're evacuated, or would you rather not deal with them? I would have said not deal with them.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But the truth is, it made us feel so much better. They were such a comfort.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Aw.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Plus, I enjoyed that it was an adventure for them. Cause I'm always looking for ways to give them little adventures.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

You know, we say they had their Eloise moment at the Garland Hotel, so that really helped.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, and I think this is a good example of something we've been talking about recently is that sometimes the impulse to say, well, if I'm stressed out, if I'm overwhelmed, I need to lighten my load. I need to reduce complexity. Sometimes that's true, but sometimes it's not true. Sometimes something like, yeah, it complicated things to have your dogs, but it was actually the right move in terms of giving you the comfort and strength that you needed to deal with the situation. So that's interesting.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And, you know, whenever I was like, what do I do? What do I do? I could always just go walk the dogs outside. And that was always a useful thing to do. On many levels.

[Elizabeth Craft]

On many. So many levels. So many levels.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. So they got a lot of walks.

[Elizabeth Craft]

But one thing that was interesting, and I heard you talk about this in an episode of Happier in Hollywood. You talked about how you skipped Orange Theory during this period. And the key thing for me, as somebody who's super into habits, is that you have this very high target for the year of how many times you're going to do Orange Theory, which really means that you have to keep up a pretty steady pace. And you took the week off, but you managed to get back to it. Because I think often for people, they're like, oh, my gosh, I can't deal with it now. But then they're sort of like, well, I broke my streak. There's no point in going back, or now it's ruined or they'll just keep postponing, going back until three months have gone by, and then they feel very discouraged. How did you feel about skipping that week? How did you think about it? And how did you get yourself back into it? Which is the key thing? How do you bounce back?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, well, Gretchen, I just couldn't deal with the cognitive dissonance of what was happening and going to Orange Theory. I just couldn't put those two things together. So it just wasn't happening.

[Elizabeth Craft]

It didn't feel appropriate.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And then I think for getting back, I think once we were back in our house, of course, it was much easier to put myself in that frame of mind, back to where I'd been a week before, because we were able to do that. And I just. I don't know. It's funny, I think, because I've been doing streaks now for a few years, because I've been keeping track of things. I am much more able to get back into it than I would have been three years ago. I think three years ago, I would have been like, okay, well, that's over. Never mind.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Now I'm like, no, I can get back into it. And I still plan to do 100. I just know that I'll have to pick up a few extra classes, and that's fine.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Do you think that having it on your 25 for 25 list helps?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, hugely.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So that target is set, and it's sort of double set.

[Gretchen Rubin]

For me, the target is everything. That just works for me. As we say, some things work for different people. For me, having that number when I don't want to go, which is almost every time I think, ugh. But I have to get to 100. If I don't go today, like, I can't go tomorrow. And then I'm starting to have trouble having enough times. So it gets me out the door. The number 100 gets me out the door.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And how did you handle working? You do a lot of work in a week. And that's. How did that go?

[Gretchen Rubin]

That was really tough because my brain, the word I use is scrambled. That's how I felt. Like my brain was just all over the place. And also I would have these waves of massive adrenaline and then just be utterly exhausted.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And that was the same for Adam as well. And we were just watching the news all the time because we really, minute to minute, wanted to know what was going on with the fires.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Sure.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And then after a few days, once we were like, okay, we think our house, you know, barring some big change, is going to be okay, but we're not going to be able to go back for another four days. Then it was just the ickiness of really just wanting to be home, you know. So certain kinds of work I could do, like, I couldn't write a script because I just didn't have the brain.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Capacity, the focus and the creativity and the stamina.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But Sarah and I had already planned to launch our substack at this time. And that was something I could work on. Because we could be on the phone. I would go down to the lobby of the hotel and sit and talk with Sarah on the phone. And she could be doing logistical things on her end. And we would be talking. And it was actually nice. Cause it would take my mind off what was going on. But it wasn't the kind of thinking that writing a script is.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, I think that's interesting because you found ways to get work done by sort of finding a kind of work that you could do. And that actually was kind of a respite rather than saying, oh, I can't work at all. But then you were also realistic being like, well, there's certain kinds of work that is just not gonna get done.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And Sarah was like, of course not. And so I wasn' I didn't feel so guilty about that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Looking back, it's not as if I say, oh, I wish I'd worked that week. I mean, it just wasn't going to happen. I was jangled and scrambled, I guess is how I describe it.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. So, looking forward, wrapping up. What steps would you take that would have helped you stay calm during the emergency? Are there things you could have done to set yourself up for sort of a calmer experience? What would you do for your future self?

[Gretchen Rubin]

For my future self, I would have every member of the family have a go bag packed at all times and have that list of things to pack. And know the zone. Know your zone, or whatever it is in your area. That is similar to having a zone. I think those three things would really help. You're going to be in a panic to a certain degree, no matter what. But those things would have really helped, like just knowing, okay, I have enough underwear now. Of course, we could have gone and washed it at a friend's house. It's just you don't necessarily feel like doing that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Or it could have been a more dire situation.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes, absolutely. I mean, we were so lucky, Gretchen, in that after the first couple of days, our fear of losing our house went way down. I can't even imagine what the people went through whose houses were lost. I can't even put myself in their place. My heart goes out to all of them. But again, for many of us, we will be in this situation because there are more natural disasters all the time. So this is something that kind of applies to almost everybody.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And so do you have that list?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Of course I don't. Okay, that'll be next week's demerit or gold star if I get it done.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay. But here's the thing. I think that listeners should say what should be on that list, because I do think it's the kind of thing where there's probably things you have and might never think of, but the minute somebody says, take this, then you're like, oh, yes, that definitely has to go on the list. And of course, it can't be a thousand items. It can't slowly be the whole. The sewing machine is not gonna go on that list. But I think it would be really useful. So. And I bet there are people who have made that list. So listeners send it. We could do this for you, Elizabeth.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. And, Gretchen, we should probably do this as a. Try this at home in an upcoming episode.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, let's do that. That is a great idea. I should do that myself. We don't have our papers in a firebox, which now I'm thinking maybe I need to get a fire. But they are in a box. But it's funny because it's in a dark drawer and it's black. So if you just open the drawer really quick, you might not even see that there's a box there. And I thought, does Jamie even know where this box is?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right.

[Elizabeth Craft]

If I were out of town and he had to leave, would he know where the birth certificates and marriage certificates and, like, jury duty certificate of services and all that? I better tell him.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I don't think you need your jury duty certificate of service.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, if you want to know where it is, that's where it is. I don't think I need to flee the house with it, but it comes in handy. It's a big box. There's room for it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, my gosh.

[Elizabeth Craft]

That's my essential paperwork. So anybody who has a list like that, please send it to us podcastretchenrubin.com.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, Gretch, what is our quotation this week?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, this just got me thinking about our houses and homes, and I'm reminded of a passage from Rumer Gaudens memoir, A House with Four Rooms. It's not exactly on the subject, but it's. It's interesting to reflect on. She writes, there is an Indian proverb that says everyone is a house with four a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time. But unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person. So, Elizabeth, are you feeling happier?

[Gretchen Rubin]

I am feeling happier, Gretch. Thank you to Chuck. Bye, Gretch.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Bye, Elizabeth. The best time to start a happiness project is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. So, Elizabeth, when you're scrambled and you're packing, did you pack stuff for Daisy and Nacho? I mean, I can imagine. Just even if, like, I had the dogs, I could imagine forgetting that they needed dog food or maybe they need medication or whatever.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, we got their stuff.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, you did.

[Gretchen Rubin]

We had luckily enough food, barely, but we had enough food for both of them. And we brought their dog beds and their bowls. Thank goodness we brought more food than we thought we needed.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, you know, Barnaby has this special toy that he just loves and loves beyond all measure. It would definitely be the first thing that I would take if I'm making a list of the precious things.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So you'll have to put that on your list.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Absolutely. From the onward project.