never forgot

(ava and eden playing in the rain from this past weekend)

its hard to believe it's been 10 years since 9-11. i was living in connecticut and going to college at the university of bridgeport which was 45 minutes from new york city. i was sitting in my soccer coaches office and he had the radio on in the background. he said, "did you here that?" "they said a plane just ran into the world trade center." i didn't know what to think at the time and so we just sat there and kept and talking. then it came across the radio again that a second plane hit again. At this time, i booked it across campus back to my dorm where i flipped on the the tv to see the burning towers. it was so strange. like watching a movie on tv but only it was the real thing. i could see and hear people crying in the nearby dorms. many of the people who attended my college were from the tri-state area and they knew people who worked in the world trade centers. the whole thing was so bizarre at the time. and then the first tower fell and shock just came over everyone's faces. and then the second. around that time we were starting to get word that our school was being evacuated. our school was an international school and there were many people from many places who attended. so, for precautionary reasons we had to leave. my whole soccer team ended up at my coach's house where we glued to the television for the next couple of hours. everyone was just in such disbelief.

i can only speak for the east coast since that was where i was living, but i have never in my life seen and felt such a unification in our nation that lasted for the next couple of weeks. you would be driving down the highway and you would see hundreds of signs referring to our country and standing together as one. american flags where everywhere. i think i had goosebumps for three weeks straight. i didn't want it to end.

at the time, it was the middle of our soccer season and many of our games were played near new york city such as in queens and long island. i remember driving to one of our games and we were crossing a bridge looking over new york city about a week after the attacks and we could see the tip of manhattan which was still covered in smoke. we all just sat there in the van staring with our mouths hanging open. it was silent. reality hit all of us. it was so surreal. i think some were crying. i will never forget that moment.

this day will always bring back a flood of memories and emotions. i am grateful that i was living where i was at the time and got to experience a nation really pulling together in a time of distress. it makes me thankful for my country.