We got to experience our first earthquake last night. It was nothing too spectacular. It was about 1 in the morning; we had just gotten into bed from a birthday party we went to. Amanda and I were both very tired and almost instantly went to sleep. It was during that period between being asleep and being awake that we felt the earthquake. I recognized it immediately as an earthquake, most likely due to the fact that there had been talk earlier in the day of an earthquake that happened night before, so it was on my mind.
This one was tiny, lasted maybe five seconds. I was lying on my back looking up at the ceiling when it seemed like the whole room slowly rocked. I also heard some little bell in a trinket case. It was not like I would have expected. It seemed that everything moved in unison. It was like someone had picked up the bed I was on and moved it back and fourth. Had we been asleep, we probably would have missed it.
However small it was, it did scare Amanda a little. They were saying that when the town starts feeling earthquakes, then Etna is ready to explode, either in a small way or big way. I think that is what scared Amanda the most. Living in the shadow of a volcano is not her idea of fun. I, personally, am hoping to see a little eruption. I think that would be neat and an experience that we would not forget.