After Being Buried for Hours in 2004 Tsunami, Survivor Says Next Generation Needs to Know What Happened

Nate Berkus Opens Up About Grief Journey After Losing Partner in 2004 Tsunami — and Oprah's Advice

"I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping," Berkus tells PEOPLE of the mountain of grief he stood to face twenty years ago Ashley Burns Photography Nate Berkus In December 2004, Nate Berkus traveled to Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka with his then-boyfriend, photographer Fernando Bengoechea, for a vacation.Ten days later, Berkus returned home to Chicago alone. The couple had been caught in the tsunami that tore through Asia on Dec. 26 after a 9.1. magnitude e…