Above all else, I'm looking at this as an opportunity to look at where my plans have fallen apart, what went well in this first contact, and what can I do better.

Another thing I am taking note of is how other people are reacting. One thing is pretty obvious, a lot of people weren't as prepared as they thought, and many only had vague ideas of a plan, or what was really important for prepping.

We have learned that hoarding ammo is not nearly as important as hoarding food and, weirdly, paper products, for when others freak out and panic.

Boredom is a morale killer

And, in what I hope to be a big lesson for many, how boring a lot of survival and prepping really is. There is just not a lot of adventure and action in long term survival situations. And this can lead to a big problem. Boredom is a morale killer, as well as a demotivator. When this happens, it leads to a downward spiral. We are seeing this in evidence already, as people are becoming unhinged in just a few weeks.