Photos of the Millennium (so far)

This photo is from 2004, and it's the very first time I had ever been to New York. This was a few years after the devestating event of 9/11/01. I was four years old when this was taken, and I honestly don't remember much about the trip, but one thing that has stayed fresh in my mind is where the twin towers stood. At this point in history, the construction was just starting and all the areas around where the towers stood were blocked off. My family went on a walk around the entire site and even though I didn't fully understand what had happened, I knew that it was somthing important. That Fall, I started Kindergarten and come September we started learing about the events of the terrorist attacks. I put the peices together and even as a five year old, I understood.
One thing that really gets under my skin is how today, in schools we don't regognize 9/11 anymore. It's just a distant tragedy now. No matter how much time has passed, we shouldn't forget about it. I was blessed to be able to return this past spring and visit the new memorial sights and Freedom Tower. Returning as a 16 year old who has more background knowledge of the attack made the trip that much more meaningful. I have fallen in love with New York and America.