Show and Tell: Where I Was 9/11

I'm linking up with Andrea today for Show and Tell Tuesdays. 

September 11th, 2001.  A day that changed the world forever.  I remember the day like it was yesterday.  I was in 5th grade and it really affected me, probably more than most kids my age in my hometown.  I've been obsessed with New York City for as long as I can remember.  In 2nd grade, I declared I wanted to go to NYU.  I'd only been to the city a handful of times at the time of the attack, but I loved it.  It was where I was meant to be.

That Tuesday started out like so many other Tuesdays before: I got up, got ready and headed to school.  My class was in gym class when the planes hit.  My friend and I always raced to see who could change out of our gym clothes and into our uniforms the fastest.  I won that day and had lined up against the blue painted cinderblock wall waiting for the rest of my class when the 6th graders ran in saying the tower had fallen, the tower had fallen.  The gym teacher tried to hush them, but I had no clue what they were talking about.  Our regular teacher came to pick us up from the gym and take us to our classroom.  Once we got there, she told us what happened and we prayed.  My mind was blown, I had no idea what was going on.  All I knew was that my dad was supposed to go to NYC the following month and I didn't want him to anymore.

The rest of the day was a blur.  I can't remember what else happened at school except that my teacher didn't turn the TV on for us to watch the news.  We went about our day like nothing had happened.  Feeling like we were being kept in the dark didn't help my nerves or fears any, keep in mind I'm a huge scared-y cat and worry wort so I was convinced the next attack was going to be on Huntington, W.V.  Once I got home from school, I sat in our TV room just watching the news trying to understand what had happened and make sense of what was going on.  It's silly the little details I remember: I had chicken satay for dinner.  My mom slept in my room with me that night, not that I slept much.  I saw every hour on the clock, sleeping for maybe half an hour, but that's where I was on 9/11.  I can't wait to read other people's stories.

Last time I was in the city, I went to the 9/11 museum and the top of the Freedom Tower.  Check out my pictures from that here.  I'm that person who fills up the DVR every year with 9/11 TV shows.  This year I get to be in the city for the anniversary of September 11th which I think is really neat.