While I was on vacation, I needed to "go back to work" for three days and travel into New York City for a conference that I played a major role in planning. After two days of business meetings, the highlight of this trip was a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on August 19.
So many emotions presented itself that day and I was extremely impressed by every little, special detail that made this Museum so beautiful. When I entered the Museum, I was immediately taken back by its size and layout. As we walked around, I quickly realized that we were far underground and in the actual footprint where the twin towers one stood. The arrangement of the Museum was so thoughtfully done and we could have easily spent a full day inside reading and examining everything (We spent just under 4 hours inside). It was amazing to see actual steel beams and partially destroyed fire trucks from the wreckage of 9/11 sitting in the middle of huge open spaces. My eyes filled with tears when I saw pictures of those that died and heard recordings of their voices that family members had given to the Museum, but then my heart quickly filled with pride when I read firsthand stories of first responders from that day and saw the uniforms of the Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden. It's impossible to share a description of the Museum that does it justice and so I would highly recommend making a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum if you have not already.
I will never forget where I was on September 11, 2001 and still have very clear memories from that day and the weeks immediately following it. Living in a town only 30 minutes outside of New York City where so many people commuted into the City for work, I knew many people that lost their lives and remember all of the funerals that I attended, sometimes going to multiple funerals in a single day. The things that I remember most about that time was the perfectly clear blue sky that surrounded a picturesque skyline early that morning, video of the towers collapsing and clouds of smoke filling the streets as people ran away, and most importantly the incredible American spirit that this nation felt and displayed following this devastating terrorist attacks.