story5733.xml

story5733.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I had just started a new job on Sept 10th and as part of the job, on the first day, I was sent to of all places Ottawa to conduct some employee meetings. I was to start a series of meetings on the hour every hour with the first one at 9am. No one showed up and one lady finally came in a little after 9am and said, "I am so sorry about what has happened in your country" I was confused. When I went to the breakroom and saw the coverage and the crowd surrounded the one wall mounted TV there, the reality hit.

Being in Canada's capital, I was not only concerned about possible attacks there, I was really feeling isolated and scared that I would never get home - Atlanta. The following days, I just cried all day and finally on Thursday, I met a group of Americans in the hotel concierge (did not know them at all) who had gotten the last rental car in Ottawa. This kind man offered to drive us over the border where we could all get other rentals or fly to our homes. That day, we drove from Ottawa to Syracuse. I drove another 400 mi alone from Syracuse to Baltimore where I boarded a flight to Ottawa. On the drive there, I saw spontaneous "God Bless America" signs and I would occassionally get teary myself. I held it in until I curiously drove past the Pentagon in DC and then I lost it. On the flight, I was terrified and no one on the flight spoke at all. We were all just kind of suspiciously staring at each other and just wanting to get home wherever that was for everyone. When I finally saw my husband at the airport in Atlanta, I just burst into tears. I was finally home in America with my family.