story5201.xml
Title
story5201.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
It was my second visit to New York City, and my first visit alone. I was there for a NAMIC conference.
My flight was supposed to leave Pittsburgh Airport around noon on Monday, September 10, 2001. However, my flight was delayed due to the weather conditions in New York. There was a storm that day.
My husband, Kirk, had waited with me; but two hours later, my flight was still not ready to leave. I told him to go home. He wanted me to go home with him.
My company was paying for the trip, I can't just not go.
Two more hours later, there is a talk of the flight been cancelled. I called Kirk to let him know. He said that he had a bad feeling and that I shouldn't go that day. Maybe I should wait until the next day and take an early flight.
However, there is an early event, that I would like to attend, plus, I was worried that if I didn't check into the hotel, I would loose my reservation.
Finally, at around 6PM, on September 10, 2001. I finally got on an American Airline flight and left for New York JFK Airport.
Upon arriving at the JFK, I had to take a bus to Port Authority Station and from there take a taxi to the Millennium Hotel Broadway. It was 10:30 PM when I got into my hotel room on the 33rd floor. Kirk was relief to hear from me and to know that I had made it.
From my hotel room, I can see the big monitor at Time Square. It's been so long since I've been to a big city. It was truly an experience.
After a good night sleep, I woke up and got ready for the Breakfast. I met my co-worker and the President of our Chapter at the Breakfast.
After breakfast, we gather at the conference hall for the first speaker. I don't even remember the name of the speaker, just remember the topic was something about "connectivity" and how it will change the way we live.
Half way through the speech, my co-worker came to me and whispered that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. The first thing that came to my mind was an "accident".
After the speaker finished his presentation, which was around 9 or 9:30 AM. The President of NAMIC came on stage and announced that a second plane had hit the second tower.
"Terrorist Attack", that's all I remembered from that point on.
We were allowed to leave and call our family to let them know that we were O.K. and that we were suppose to gather back at the hall in 30 minutes to discuss our next step.
I turned on my cell phone and saw that I had messages. I knew my husband had tried to call. So, I tried to call him back immediately, but there was no signal. I walked outside, thinking I can get a better signal, all I saw was people standing out on the side walk, everyone with a cell phone, desperately trying to reach love ones.
I went inside and got on the elevator to try the phone in my room. In the elevator, two ladies told me that they made an announcement on the news that the Millennium Hotel was hit. I realized that there were two Millennium Hotels, one near the World Trade Center and one near Broadway, which is where I was.
I started to panic, because I knew Kirk was. After couple tries, I got through from my room.
I could hear the sheer panic in his voice. He wanted me to leave, but I couldn't with everything shut down. He even wanted to come and get me, but there was no way he could get into NY City.
I finally calmed him down and told him that we had to meet back at the Conference Hall and I would keep him updated every 1-2 hours.
The final decision was to cancel the conference. I was the lucky one that I had hotel reservation, so I had a place to stay. There were some people who came in just for the day, who didn't have a place to stay for the night, and couldn't go home. I offered this couple to share my room, they accepted, but I never heard from them again. I believe they got on a ferry and went back to New Jersey that night. I hope they made it home alright.
That night, New York City was the quietest place on earth. There were no cars, no bus, no street vendors, only few people walking around, like my co-worker and myself, who were trying to find a place to eat. (Imagine not able to find a place to eat at NY City!)
While walking in the City, I looked to my right, between two tall buildings, there it was, the smoke from the World Trade Center. This was my first, only, and closest encounter to the tragic event.
That night, in my hotel room, I looked down the same busy street from the night before. Only to find a deserted island, surrounded by silence and the light from the police patrol. What a difference one day made!
The next day, after many tries, I was able to get a train ticket and leave New York.
My husband waited for me at the train station with tears of joy and relief in his eyes.
One week later, we found out that I was six weeks pregnant with our first child, who is now 5 months old.
We are truly blessed!
My flight was supposed to leave Pittsburgh Airport around noon on Monday, September 10, 2001. However, my flight was delayed due to the weather conditions in New York. There was a storm that day.
My husband, Kirk, had waited with me; but two hours later, my flight was still not ready to leave. I told him to go home. He wanted me to go home with him.
My company was paying for the trip, I can't just not go.
Two more hours later, there is a talk of the flight been cancelled. I called Kirk to let him know. He said that he had a bad feeling and that I shouldn't go that day. Maybe I should wait until the next day and take an early flight.
However, there is an early event, that I would like to attend, plus, I was worried that if I didn't check into the hotel, I would loose my reservation.
Finally, at around 6PM, on September 10, 2001. I finally got on an American Airline flight and left for New York JFK Airport.
Upon arriving at the JFK, I had to take a bus to Port Authority Station and from there take a taxi to the Millennium Hotel Broadway. It was 10:30 PM when I got into my hotel room on the 33rd floor. Kirk was relief to hear from me and to know that I had made it.
From my hotel room, I can see the big monitor at Time Square. It's been so long since I've been to a big city. It was truly an experience.
After a good night sleep, I woke up and got ready for the Breakfast. I met my co-worker and the President of our Chapter at the Breakfast.
After breakfast, we gather at the conference hall for the first speaker. I don't even remember the name of the speaker, just remember the topic was something about "connectivity" and how it will change the way we live.
Half way through the speech, my co-worker came to me and whispered that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. The first thing that came to my mind was an "accident".
After the speaker finished his presentation, which was around 9 or 9:30 AM. The President of NAMIC came on stage and announced that a second plane had hit the second tower.
"Terrorist Attack", that's all I remembered from that point on.
We were allowed to leave and call our family to let them know that we were O.K. and that we were suppose to gather back at the hall in 30 minutes to discuss our next step.
I turned on my cell phone and saw that I had messages. I knew my husband had tried to call. So, I tried to call him back immediately, but there was no signal. I walked outside, thinking I can get a better signal, all I saw was people standing out on the side walk, everyone with a cell phone, desperately trying to reach love ones.
I went inside and got on the elevator to try the phone in my room. In the elevator, two ladies told me that they made an announcement on the news that the Millennium Hotel was hit. I realized that there were two Millennium Hotels, one near the World Trade Center and one near Broadway, which is where I was.
I started to panic, because I knew Kirk was. After couple tries, I got through from my room.
I could hear the sheer panic in his voice. He wanted me to leave, but I couldn't with everything shut down. He even wanted to come and get me, but there was no way he could get into NY City.
I finally calmed him down and told him that we had to meet back at the Conference Hall and I would keep him updated every 1-2 hours.
The final decision was to cancel the conference. I was the lucky one that I had hotel reservation, so I had a place to stay. There were some people who came in just for the day, who didn't have a place to stay for the night, and couldn't go home. I offered this couple to share my room, they accepted, but I never heard from them again. I believe they got on a ferry and went back to New Jersey that night. I hope they made it home alright.
That night, New York City was the quietest place on earth. There were no cars, no bus, no street vendors, only few people walking around, like my co-worker and myself, who were trying to find a place to eat. (Imagine not able to find a place to eat at NY City!)
While walking in the City, I looked to my right, between two tall buildings, there it was, the smoke from the World Trade Center. This was my first, only, and closest encounter to the tragic event.
That night, in my hotel room, I looked down the same busy street from the night before. Only to find a deserted island, surrounded by silence and the light from the police patrol. What a difference one day made!
The next day, after many tries, I was able to get a train ticket and leave New York.
My husband waited for me at the train station with tears of joy and relief in his eyes.
One week later, we found out that I was six weeks pregnant with our first child, who is now 5 months old.
We are truly blessed!
Collection
Citation
“story5201.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/15697.