Ten years ago this Sunday, our country suffered one of the greatest attacks on our soil since Pearl Harbor. Not only did the terrorists take away our sense of security but as a country,
we have made several changes in our lifestyles.
     I was there that day. Technically, I was there two days before.
     I was freshly out of college, working in my first “real job” that utilized my broadcasting degree from Gonzaga University.
     Working as a television coordinator aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, my job was to record events on board during cruises.
     We left New York Harbor on September 9th, unbeknownst to us, never to return.
     On September 10th, we had a day at sea on our way to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
     We docked in Halifax on the 11th. The day was supposed to be exciting. A group of us had planned on going bottom fishing that day. When I got out of bed to get ready, I heard a
commotion in the hallway. I opened my door and people were running up and down the hallway. One of my friends told me to turn on the television.
     When I did so, I saw the top of the first tower, aflame. My first thoughts were that the building caught on fire. Then, while watching the broadcast, I saw the second plane plummet into the second tower. I could not believe my eyes. I still did not have a full grasp on what was happening.
     It took me a second, as I am sure it did with most people.
     Never in my deepest, darkest, nightmares did I ever think our country was capable of being attacked on our own soil.
     Needless to say, it was at that moment, watching the second plane explode, when I realized that our lives, as Americans, would never be the same.
     We eventually went out bottom fishing that day, and the whole time, we listened to CNN’s radio broadcast updating the events.
     Our first concern now was that we were stuck in a “foreign” country and were not able to return to the United States yet.
     Another concern was that since we had just left New York, several of our guests were New Yorkers and had family members either in or around the Trade Center. We were now stuck in Canada and they could not get home to the rest of their families.
     We finally were allowed back into the country three days later, thanks to an escort by the Coast Guard and a complete search of the boat by Navy SEALS.
     Although my personal account does not compare with many others, the events of that fateful day still are sharp in my mind.
     September 11th, 2001, was a date that will live in infamy. It reminds us that we can never let our guard down, it reminds us what is important in our lives and it reminds us what it means to be an American.