So where were you on 9-11?

I remember this day clearly as I had just landed in D.C. on Monday for the annual Transcatheter Therapy Conference (TCT) and was looking forward to registration on Tuesday. It was to be a  quick trip and I was mostly about the vendor show as we were in the market for some equipment at work.

I had left Monday in my usual rush, looking forward to D.C. as always and the conference was always a good source of information and reconnecting with a lot of people I knew in the industry. I didn't take much cash with me, typical poor planning on my part but rarely did I need cash at these things. There were lots of reps that offer dinner and a lot of dinner meetings offered by major companies.  My hotel was the JW Marriot on the corner of the National Mall just down the street from the White House and a great view of the Washington Monument from my window on the 4th floor. D.C. was a busy, bustling madhouse Tuesday morning as usual. The TV was on but I was busy getting ready to register and grab some breakfast when the phone rang in my room. Brenda, asking if I was Ok?

A plane just flew into one of the twin towers. I could now see that on TV. Not sure why this did not register earlier but they were talking about the Oklahoma City bombing and I wasn't following closely. As she said something about a plane also hitting the Pentagon, I looked out the window precisely as a plume of black smoke drifted behind the memorial across the way.  It was all so surreal as I looked around my limited view of the city and noticed snipers on the roof next door and a huge array of sirens and activity down below.

The rest of the day was a blur as I tried to sort out what to do in the event of a massive catastrophe and being so far from home. The registration never opened that day or the ensuing days and eventually the conference was cancelled after a brief plenary session with all the attendees that had shown up.  The roads in and out of the city were blocked so if you were not there Monday or early Tuesday corning, you were not coming in our going out. The next few days were stunned silence and little movement on the streets below.

I remember finding the National Orthodox Russian cathedral on a map and started walking as it was the feast of the Elevation of the Cross. No buses or taxis were operating and the city, by Thursday, was a ghost town. All the hustle and bustle had subsided and no one was around. After about 3+  miles I found the church just past the Naval Observatory and stayed there for most of the afternoon as it was going to be a long walk back to the hotel. The bells and familiar service and vigil were a comfort and I could have stayed there forever. I really had nothing better to do. On Friday, the Smithsonian had reopened so I occupied my time revisiting the exhibits I had seen so many times when I was a kid living in Bethesda.

My agent had made multiple reservations on a flight home on Saturday after Dulles reopened. I had flown into Washington National but that remained closed. I have no idea the cab fare to Dulles would be so much and gave the taxi driver my last dime which didn't cover the fare. I was just so glad to be on my way home. Several of the docs I knew from Cedar Rapids offered me a ride to that city but I held out for a direct flight. One of the reservations finally hit and I had a seat out. Sadly, so many did not survive the attack.