Book that related to a life event: Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Jame @ The Perpetual Page Turner does a spotlight on the books she has read that made her think of personal experiences and wanted to talk about them. I have never had a story that went along with a book that is until I read Looking for Alaska by John Green. First of all I do not wish for you symphathy in this post. I truly just want to share a story about my life and the way it impacted my high school experience.

*Fair Warning that I might spoil sections of Looking for Alaska. If you have not read this amazing novel please do so then come back* *You can read the first section spoiler free until you get to spoiler alert*

January 25th, 2012 started out as a very normal day. It was another dreary day in January. It was foggy outside and the visibility was not great, but we still had school. I was halfway done with my Junior year of high school at this point. I was 17 years old and what happened this day is the worst thing that has happened in my life. It has changed me in ways I never thought I would change as a teenager. 

It was third period ACT Prep when things started to get strange. The phone rang and my teacher answered it. It was for my friend Lizzy, who is deaf. Her interpreter Pam talked on the phone and told Lizzy everything. I didn't know anything about that conversation the only thing I know is that Lizzy wouldn't take her eyes off her cellphone and she kept asking Pam questions. I really didn't know what to think of the conversation. 

Then we went to lunch, which is in the middle of our ACT Prep period. Lizzy disappeared into the office. I sat down with my friends to have lunch, but I couldn't stop worrying about Lizzy. I knew at this point something bad had happened and so did the rest of our lunch table. I came back to ACT Prep and Lizzy and Pam did not return. I couldn't keep my mind on the class when my friend had something wrong. 

It wasn't until Fourth Period Chemistry that I finally figured out what happened. It was all over Keloland News and I couldn't help, but hold back tears. A truck with a trailer was in a collision with a snowplow and was Jackknifed in the middle of the road. Like I said earlier the visibility wasn't great. Lizzy's mom Krista ran into the pickup truck. She was fine for a few seconds until a semi hit her car. Krista was dead at the scene. The other three drivers did not have any injuries. 

I walked through the rest of the school day more like a zombie than a person. Even now I can't write this story without tears coming to my eyes. I never got to meet Lizzy's mom, but I knew she was a great person and I grieved for my friend. I can't imagine living in this world without my mom even though I get annoyed with her at times. 

Renae, my sister had confirmation on this night. Although I was in no state to being driving I was the only person there was to take her. We got on to I-90 East and we were quickly suppossed to take the turn on to I-29 North, but we couldn't find it, so I continued to drive East thinking we would find it before I knew it we had been on the road for 30 minutes and we were beginning to freak out. We had ended up in another state before we turned around. I know part of this issue is because I couldn't keep my mind focused I just wanted to cry. We did make it to confirmation just a little bit late. 

That night I watched the story about the accident on Keloland News and that is when I finally broke down crying. It really was the first time in my life that I had discovered life wasn't fair. Sure bad things had happened to me, but never this bad. I cried myself to sleep this night. 

I watched my friend go through the grieving process. I watched her not eat for days and be as pale as a ghost at the prayer service. She gave the most beautiful speech about her mom at the funeral. I also watched my friend slowly shut people out of her life. I was one of those people. As much as I wanted to help Lizzy I didn't really know how. Even though I talked to Lizzy for the rest of high school our friendship was never the same. Now I don't really talk to her very much. Lizzy will never know how much I think of her mom and this awful day. I know what I have went through with her losing her mom is ten times easier than what she has had to go through. 

*Spoiler Alert*

I was sitting in my dorm room the other day thinking about Looking for Alaska, which became one of my favorite books of 2013. I was trying to understand why Alaska's death hit me so hard. Then I thought of Lizzy and how her mom died in much the same way as Alaska. 

We put such a big emphasize on last words. Krista is watching over all of us and the only thing she remembers is the loved she shared on this earth. Krista loved her daughter, Lizzy and her son, Ryan. She didn't want January 25th, 2012 to be her last day on Earth. Like Alaska we will knew know what Krista's last words were.

As of today it has been two years since Krista died. I think of her often. I have read the stories of her death many times. I never changes the shock I feel. It is a wonder that us as people are seldom on the internet until our obituary gets published. That is true for Krista because her story was shared in many newspapers. 

I think this is the reason I fell in love with Looking for Alaska in a way most people wouldn't because I fully related to the novel and the situation. 

For people that follow snow plow's too close and overdrive in winter condition's remember that your life is not worth getting to work on time. Leave a little bit earlier and take it easy. 

Rachael