On Sept. 11, every American remembers where they were and what they were doing when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked. I was in Buffalo, saying my goodbyes to friends. I was scheduled to leave for London from JFK International Airport to study abroad on that Friday. As I watched the footage of the doomed airliners plummet into the side of each tower, my dreams of going abroad became as threatened as the helpless towers.
The challenge was to decide what to do next.
I began to consider the pros and cons of going abroad during such a tumultuous time. This was the worst possible time to leave my family and friends.
Obviously, because of JFK's closure, my flight was pushed back for one week. After hours of tension and fear and countless conversations with loved ones, I decided I could not be stopped. If I did not leave for London, the terrorists would prevent another American from living her life.
I was not going to let that happen.
It was not easy boarding the plane on Sept. 22, but after I entered the cabin, there was no turning back. To my delight, I survived a surprisingly easy flight over the Atlantic. I made a quick phone call home from Heathrow Airport in London to let my parents know I had made it and set out to adjust to my new life.
My flat was located two blocks from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Thames and Parliament. I was living in a single room located in a 19th century converted mansion house. The residence hall had students living there from France, Spain, Germany, Australia and countless other countries.
Through my flat mates and innumerable travel experiences, I learned about international cultures, cuisines, languages and beliefs. Now I have close friends who literally live on the other side of the world, and the opportunity to go back and visit them in the future.
This is what I had imagined life abroad to be, regardless of all the tensions back home. Of course, I worried about the safety of my family back in New York, but hundreds of dollars in phone bills alleviated any fear that terror was on the horizon. My family emphasized one thing: "Enjoy your experience abroad."
And so I did.
I was very aware of the heartache back home as well as the frightening threat of anthrax and other attacks while I was away. I knew the fear and grief of 9-11 was a wound not yet healed. I'd be lying if I did not say I listened intently to the news, prepared to go home at any minute if the situation became unsafe. Fortunately, a premature departure was unnecessary.
London is a city of resilience and survival. It endured great losses spanning from the Black Plague and the Great Fire of 1666 to the damage caused by two horrific world wars. Every time the country was threatened, it rebuilt. While I was there, its citizens were supportive of Americans. In fact, one of the first things I saw upon arrival was the American embassy flooded with flowers and memorial letters. The cloud that lingered over the ruins in Manhattan had been seen by the world.
One example of the British support I encountered was on my first night in the city. My new foreign friends and I had gone to a pub around the corner for some fish and chips. We wanted to experience a bit of the traditional British lifestyle. After we received our bill, we couldn't decide whether we should leave a tip or not. We turned to a few people sitting next to us and asked if we should leave a tip. In England it is not custom to tip, so they laughed and said, "You're Americans aren't you?"
From there, we struck up conversations with almost every person in the busy pub. They teased us about our Americanism as we strained to understand their accents. When they heard I was from New York, they simply said, "We're sorry, but we're glad you're here." So was I.
I believe that once a person learns about customs worldwide, they develop a firmer understanding of why things happen. I learned that London represents an important lesson of resilience to us all. The city has proved that the more it is knocked down, the better it becomes. America will survive, and it presents this unforgettable reminder to the world.
The more the enemy strikes, the stronger we will become.
Evil will not endure.
