Seven years ago today I was a college junior spending a semester abroad on the sunny French Riviera. The day had started like most days that fall: breakfast in the cafeteria followed by three hours of language class and a trip into downtown Cannes for some light afternoon shopping. It ended like none other: learning that my country had been attacked. Everyone has their own September 11, 2001 story; a story about where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. For me, the day has an international twist. Far from home, I had the chance to experience the outpouring of sympathy, support and friendship that came from all corners of the globe.
There was my British friend who so gently broke the news when I returned to campus one of the last to know. My Norwegian roommate who cried with me in our dorm room, both of us asking the question, "why?" There were the Europeans, South Americans, Canadians and Asians who stood with us in silence to remember the victims in the small, crowded campus chapel. That weekend, a few of us kept our plans for a trip to Italy, where we saw the flag on top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa flying at half-staff. On the train ride there, an older French couple asked me if we were Americans. Madame patted my hand and said "we're with you." A few years later, some Americans would disparage the French for not supporting the war in Iraq, but I knew that those two kind hearts on that Italy-bound train were worth more than any amount of bombs, guns or tanks.
I didn't return to the US until late December of that year, so I never witnessed the widespread flying of American flags, or felt the effects of the grounding of airplanes or saw the non-stop news coverage that would follow the attacks. But I'm thankful that I got a unique view of that September's events. I saw how it affected not only my fellow citizens, but the citizens of the world as well, and I will never forget the men and women who shared my sadness. It was at once the most tragic and touching travel experience of my life.
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5 comments:
i remember that whole day vividly....in my mind it is as though the day happened yesterday.
for our generation, we always will....our parents remember kennedy, our grandparents remember pearl harbor, we remember this...
Tanya-
Thanks for sharing your experience. I've heard many stories from Americans who were abroad who felt desperate to get home, but I really appreciated the fact that you focused instead on being present to the experience where you were and sharing your sorrow with other people.
Julie: There were about 17 students in the group from my school and I truly don't think any of us wanted to go home because of the attacks. We certainly wanted to call home, but that was difficult if not impossible for a couple of days. I think we felt that this would be a uniquely memorable but difficult experience of that moment in time.
I liked this post a lot. Even this year, so many years since 2001, people remember here in France.
At work I noticed that the date really means something to them, something they wont ever forget.
Anonymous: Thank you for your comment. I will always be thankful to France for providing such a welcoming home during that difficult fall. Truly a compassionate people.
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