I will never forget that day. On Monday, September 10th I had flown down to Evansville, Indiana alone for an interview for a job. It was the first time I had ever gone to the United States alone. I was nervous but excited. I had my interview that day and it had gone really well. When I woke up the next day in the hotel it was like any other day. I went down to breakfast just like everyone else. Even when I got down there I saw everyone sitting around the television watching the news of the attacks but I thought it was just like any other news broadcast.

I watched live as the second tower fell, I watched all the people’s faces and how scared they were. Even after they said that airplanes were grounded I still didn’t think anything of it. I was in shock. I didn’t want to believe that I wasn’t going home that day (September 11th). I finished my breakfast and went back up to my room to finish packing. I turned on the TV and every single channel was showing the attacks. And then they announced that Canadian airplanes were grounded as well. Then I got scared, really scared. I ended up being stuck in Evansville for five days. I was supposed to fly out Thursday from Evansville but after waiting in the airport for approximately 4 hours my flight had been canceled and I had to go back to the hotel. Meanwhile my mother had been trying to find some way for me to come by land. She had found a “Casidy’s Transfer” transport truck that was in the States’ just below Indiana and contacted him to see if he could pick me up and bring me back to Ottawa ON. He agreed to pick me up that Friday.

It was another first for me to be able to ride in a transport truck; I had never been in one before. I got to sleep in the bunk of the truck and shower and eat in truck stops; it was quite the adventure. That gentleman was definitely my hero; I will never forget his kindness. The drive was approximately 2 1/2 days long and I returned back in Ottawa on Monday, September 17th safe and sound.