I was away for work when I unexpectedly found myself starring in my own low-budget disaster movie – sheltering overnight in a motel in Mackay as Cyclone Ului rolled in. It wasn’t exactly the five-star disaster bunker I’d have hoped for, but hey, it had four walls and a roof.

At least, it started with a roof.

Before the cyclone even properly hit, I was already questioning my life choices. Naturally, I documented the experience on Facebook, which, as everyone knows, is rule #1 of disaster survival:

“I’m currently sheltering from a cyclone in a motel that has walls so thin I can hear the guy in the next room eating. This place is bound to be cyclone proof… right??”

Because if I could hear every bite my neighbor took, I could only assume the walls would put up zero fight against a Category 3 cyclone.

As the night wore on, the winds picked up, and the motel started… well, losing pieces of itself.

“I’m lay in bed listening to bits of the roof getting ripped off and blown away. Fun Fun :D”

Nothing says “restful night’s sleep” like the sound of your temporary shelter being disassembled by Mother Nature in real time.

At one point, from the relative safety of my motel room doorway, I took a peek outside. It was impressive. The cyclone was in full chaos mode. I watched as the giant motel sign detached and took flight. There were regular crashes as roof tiles came down. It was equal parts awe-inspiring and mildly terrifying.

Somehow, I made it through the night. The motel (mostly) made it through the night. And, most importantly, I was able to update Facebook with the news of my epic victory over the elements:

“I have no phone signal, but am otherwise undamaged by the cyclone.”

A true survival story. Inspirational. Heroic. Deserving of a standing ovation.

And yet, while my posts documenting my impending doom received plenty of engagement, my triumphant survival announcement? Nothing.

No applause. No virtual high-fives. Just deafening silence.

Apparently, people love a bit of drama but couldn’t care less about the happy ending. Lesson learned: next time I find myself in a social media-worthy disaster, I’ll leave the story on a cliffhanger.