At this exact minute, seven years ago, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. It gives me chills to remember that morning.

Seven years ago. I can’t believe it has been seven years.

I was a sophomore in college, living in a dorm, in a suite with seven of my closest girlfriends. It was a Tuesday, and I didn’t have my first class until 12:30 p.m. So at 8:45 a.m., when that first plane hit, I was sleeping. My roommate and most (if not all) of my suitemates were at class or elsewhere, so all was quiet where I was. When the second plane hit at 9:03 a.m., and it became clear that these crashes were not accidents… I was still sleeping.

I think I must have stirred between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. I had no intention of getting out of bed yet, but I think I had to pee. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, for whatever reason, before I collapsed back into bed, I touched the mouse for my computer, “waking it up” from its screensaver. I would never have known anything was happening if it had not been for an instant message.

A friend, Christy, who lives out in Seattle, had sent me an IM saying something along the lines of, “I hope your mom is not traveling today, and that everyone you know is safe.” My mom travels all of the time for work. I live in Upstate NY. Six hours from NYC, but still close enough to know several people who live there.

I didn’t know what she was talking about. I’m not sure how long I stared at that message before it occurred to me that something big must’ve happened. I immediately turned on the TV.

We all know what I saw.

I don’t remember ever being worried about my mom. I’m not sure if I called her, or if I just knew, after hearing the details–planes from Boston, Newark, and Washington–that it could not possibly be her. I also did not know anybody who worked at the World Trade Center (thankfully).

From then on, I was transfixed by the television. I could not turn away.

I was watching when news broke that a third plane had hit the Pentagon. It was difficult not to be scared. Our country was under attack. I was in a podunk college town, so I was not necessarily worried about my own personal safety… but I was scared for the American citizens I knew had already perished, and for those that still possibly could. And scared for what this would mean for our country.

Who could do this? Who would do this?

I was watching when the south tower fell. Watched again as the north tower collapsed a mere 23 minutes later. Just watched. In horror.

Then the news of a fourth plane crashing in Pennsylvania. All I could think was, What the hell is going on??

There was complete and utter confusion. What was happening? Who was doing this? Are they done crashing planes? How many people were in those buildings? (I remember reports that there could have been something like 20,000 in each. Holy crap.) What is going to happen next?

Sporadically, my suitemates started to return from classes. All of them clueless as to what was going on. Some of them had heard rumors, but didn’t believe them to be true until I said that it was, and pointed them to the television.

I couldn’t even leave my room. I just had to watch everything as it unfolded. I was desperate to learn all I could about what was happening. I’m not sure I ever even showered. All classes were cancelled for the remainder of the day, which was a relief since I never planned on going anyway.

Throughout the later morning and early afternoon, we started to hear things about friends at college… many of whom were from the New York City area. Erin says her family and friends are all safe. Tyler has a brother who works in one of the buildings–he doesn’t know where he is.

At the time, I had yet to meet Michael. That would come in early 2002. But I knew some of his suitemates because they were friends with some of mine. I remember hearing that Vince’s mother worked in the Pentagon. I don’t remember how or when I heard that she was actually in the area that was hit. And I don’t remember how or when I learned this, but she did survive.

In fact, she was the only one from her department/office who did. Badly injured and burned, but alive. (Subsequently, she was featured on Oprah several months later.)

Eventually, I remember we all just decided we couldn’t handle it anymore. We had to get out and just go somewhere. Where do you go in a small college town when you want to run errands to “get away from it all”? Oh yeah, you know it… Walmart.

Except that there were TVs in Walmart and we really hadn’t escaped anything at all. There really was no running away from this one.

Still, every year, I am sucked into the 9/11 specials that are played on Discovery. I don’t really want to relive it; but I certainly don’t want to forget.

I don’t ever want to forget.

Where were you?