I live in a part of the world where we never experience earthquakes, but I've experienced two in my life already even though I'm quite young. It's the strangest thing - feels like everything is pandemonium, turned upside down. For a while I thought the world was coming to an end ha ha then I realized it was an earthquake. One of the most bizarre things I've ever experienced.

Unfortunately, I had experienced a horrible earthquake, back in 1999 in Istanbul, where I live. We lost 18.373 lives in all Turkey.

At that time, I was just 12. It was so shocking that I remember, I went completely mute for an hour. My mouth could not even shape a single word. Thank God, I'm and my loved loves are still alive and healthy.

When you experience a terrible natural disaster, you promise yourself that you'll always try and try to enjoy the sunny days on earth. You realise that, every single day, you have a chance to be happy. And, happines is not about the fancy shoes or the expensive clothes, that you went crazy once. It's about love. Then, you reach out for your family.

depends on the type - rolling or shaking and of course the strength and duration of one. Grew up in Calif you feel them all the time and know instantly - its a big one.

Pirullinen wrote: "I live in a part of the world where we never experience earthquakes, but I've experienced two in my life already even though I'm quite young. It's the strangest thing - feels like everything is pan..."

I grew up in Southern California which is like the Earthquake Capital of the world. So I have experienced earthquakes all my life. I remember being in 2nd grade and having earthquake drills, where we were all instructed to tuck ourselves in and hide under our desks. In several places where I worked, we also had drills. Nothing wakes you up from a dead sleep than a strong shaking quake. The rolling kind just make you nauseous almost like being seasick. For the most part they are done and over with in a matter of seconds and unless its a 4.5 you don't even feel them.

Honestly, I'm from Chile, I've experienced earthquakes all my life and I must say that I really don't fear them, you grow up knowing it has to happen and they will continue to happen.

The really scary part is what happens after, may be a tsunami like it happened back in february of 2010, or lack of food or shelter, that's when humans show what they are really made off and even when people started to show the bad sides of the human nature, you must remember that there's always hope and possibly a good reconstruction plan to avoid the tsunami destruction in the future.

Living in Southern California I am very familiar with earthquakes. They didn't really bother me until I was 16. Once you have someone die in one it seems to change things. At 44 I still feel my heart stop for a moment but now I don't burst in to tears and think I can hear the earthquake coming.

I lived in Southern California for just under 20 years. There were many Earthquakes. They happen so fast they are usually over before one can react. Then I had a job transfer to Dallas and I do like to move around. There, one could see a tornado on the way at least, so one had a few moments to take cover. And now I live in Florida, cause I love new places, and we have hurricane warnings so one has a day or so to prepare at least. It's always something I suppose. But I'm thinking Dublin next, because I hear it is the most literary (well-read) city in the world. I don't know if that's true or not, but as a writer myself I hope Dublin inspires me.