The day that changed travel forever

11 Sep The day that changed travel forever

Traveling with carry-on only, and my kite gear

Seventeen years ago on this day – September 11 – world travel would never be the same again. In 2001, it was my first year of independent international travel. I went on my first backpacking trip to the United States of America for 3 months. I started in January in San Francisco and in a nutshell I travelled down the west coast to Los Angeles where I met some people who are still solid friends of mine to this day. Then I had my first visit to Hawai’i (I’ve been a total of four times now) before crossing over to Florida. I went to Disney World, saw the Penthouse, went to the Smithsonian and made my way north to New York City – somewhere I thought I would never ever visit….but this little Island Girl made it to one of the biggest cities in the world! It was here on the Statue of Liberty, as I shot an entire roll of film on this iconic structure, that I saw my first digital camera and knew I just had to get one ASAP as the 60 rolls of film I was now lugging across the country was not sustainable. And it was in NYC that I met some of the most memorable people – one being a security guard working at the World Trade Centre who gave me almost a private tour of the towers. I never heard from him again after 9/11, and it makes me wonder what happened to him….

Before 9/11, earlier that year as I moved from airport to airport, the contents of my drink bottle, the size of my toiletries, my nail file, all that, was not an issue in my bag. It didn’t take hours to pass through security. And it was ok to say “that’s da bomb” out loud in an airport. I was actually working in an airport when the planes crashed into the twin towers, and it seemed so surreal to see the horrific news unravel on the tv screens that day. Seventeen years ago.

A piece of steel from the towers presented to Gander in appreciation of their efforts (see North Atlantic Aviation Museum)

Today, I am in Newfoundland, Canada. And I passed through the little town of Gander this afternoon – stopping specifically at the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. I did not know before arriving to Newfoundland the connection between Gander and what happened on 9/11. As the horrors of what was happening in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania came to light, US air spaces were being shut down, leaving over 200 aircraft bound for North America with nowhere to go. In 2 hours, air traffic controllers had to figure out what to do with all these planes, and so 38 commercial flights were rerouted to land unexpectedly in Gander. The residents of Gander came out with the hospitality that Newfoundlanders are known for and made approximately 6,700 strangers feel as comfortable as possible.

A person who lives in Newfoundland can be referred to as a “Newfie”. Some people take offence to this title due to the derogatory origins of the word, but most people today accept it as a term of endearment (**please use accordingly!**). Then if you are from St John’s (the capital of Newfoundland) you would be a “Townie”. If you are from the other side of the overpass, and essentially the rest of Newfoundland, you would be a “Bayman”. And if you are from somewhere else other than Newfoundland, you are a “Come from away”. This term became the title of the musical “Come from Away” detailing the week following the 9/11 attacks, specifically in Gander. You can see this award winning musical in New York, Toronto and Dublin now.

Visiting the Blue Mosque with a local friend in Istanbul, Turkey

The 9/11 attacks were credited to the extremist Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda and with all the media hype that fuels our fear of terrorists, I hear a lot of people speak negatively of those with an Islamic faith. I claim to be spiritual rather than religious, and I can appreciate everyone has different beliefs so during a visit to Istanbul, Turkey, I visited The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka The Blue Mosque). Inside the Mosque is a room called the Islamic Information Center where you can enter and ask any questions you have about Islam and the Mosque. I asked “How do you clean the cobwebs off the high ceilings?”. To which the specialist replies “Did you know the Koran talks of the Big Bang Theory” and then he told me of all the other scientific facts that the Koran (or Quran) mentions that is not mentioned by any other books of faith. How did he know I was a scientist? Because of my interest in the spiders! We had a fascinating discussion about his opinion of extremists (like al-Qaeda), how what they do is against the Koran, the Koran in general and public prejudice against Muslim people. He also taught me the first word in the Koran is “read”. Because we should all be encouraged to learn as much as we can about all topics in order to form our own opinions without our judgement being clouded by others and not to be a lemming – simply following along what everyone else thinks or is doing – quite the contrary to most extremists of any faith.

The flag of Gander, Newfoundland

I’m sharing the above story with you as I want more people to know that extremists are the minority, not the majority. There are millions of people who follow the Islamic faith who do not agree with what these groups are doing. Islam is a peaceful faith and one that encourages learning – even reading books of faith from other religions. I wish that people would not be so quick to judge others without first increasing their own awareness.

The September 11 attacks killed almost 3,000 people and injured over 6,000. From this event, although tragic as it was and with all the heart ache it caused, it not only showed the bad side of humanity but also the good. Those who were stranded in Gander will always remember these kind hearted “Newfies” and be grateful for their hospitality. It shows how perfect strangers can band together and help each other with no judgement or barriers.  As with all tragic historical events, this one will continue to have an impact on us forever. May we all remember to live every day to the fullest and take nothing for granted.

**If you remember where you were on September 11, 2001 or want to share how it impacted you, please contribute to the comments section – would love to hear from you**

Flights on September 11, 2001

Town Hall of Gander, Newfoundland