09/11/2026
This year, for the first time, I had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Standing there and taking in the site, the names, and the magnitude of what happened was incredibly moving.
September 11, 2001 is a day I will always remember. Just one month earlier, I had started my first real career after graduating from high school, working as a travel agent for British Airways. I was young, excited about what was ahead, and just beginning my life in the travel industry. Then, in an instant, our country and the world of travel changed.
It was a scary and uncertain time, both for our country and for me personally as I was just beginning my career. But one of the things I remember most about the days and weeks that followed was how people came together. There was an incredible sense of unity across our country, of neighbors helping neighbors and Americans supporting one another.
Twenty-five years later, standing at the memorial gave me a much deeper appreciation for the magnitude of the lives lost and the families forever changed that day.
Today, I remember the 2,977 lives lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, the families who lost someone they loved, and a day our country will never forget. 🇺🇸
