September 15, 2001

Taped at the beginning of this journal entry is a boarding pass that reads:

TWA Boarding Pass
Tomlin/Jennifer
Electronic Ticket
Flight#Two255
Class: Y
Date: 11 Sept 2001
Seat: 6B
From: Philadelphia
To: St. Louis
Gate: F8
Boards: 6:00 am
Departs: 6:30 am

The entire world changed last Tuesday.

I applied for an internal transfer at work a few weeks ago. I got it and my first day was Monday, Sept. 10. The next day me, my new boss Michelle, John and Maureen had to fly to St. Louis for a day full of meetings then come back later that day. Our plane took off from Philly International at 6:30. We landed about 2 hr. 45 mins. later.

We arrived at our sister office about 9:15 (est) and were told by the receptionist that two planes had crashed into each of the WTC towers. All four of us immediately called home to say we were safe -- we just got off planes!

We met up with some people in the Creative and Marketing Dept. They had a radio and we learned the planes had been commercial jets. Then two more planes crashed. One into the Pentagon and one in rural PA.

We went into the lunchroom were a TV had been set up. I could barely watch the coverage of NY. I wanted to get the hell out of there and be home. We were told by security in the building that St. Louis (as in the fucking entire city) was closing and we had to leave the building.

We luckily hooked up with the man in charge of catering for the cafeteria at the office and he gave us a ride to his hotel. He let us come up to his room to use his phone to try to figure out a plan of action.

Our boss tried calling all over to get us out of the city -- planes, trains, even a rental care. There was nothing. We managed to rent two hotel rooms. Maureen got in touch with her aunt and uncle who live in the area. Her cousin, Tracey, took us to Target to get a change of clothes and some toiletries and later that evening they took us out for a meal.

The next morning Michelle managed to get us a rental car. We met at the office around noon, had something to eat and began a car trip across half the country.

We stopped outside of Columbus, OH at about 11 pm and checked into a gross hotel. Michelle didn't even sleep in her own room because she was so scared. I sat up most of the night chain smoking, drinking crap hotel coffee and watching the news coverage.

We left Columbus Thursday morning around 7:30 am and got to Cherry Hill around 5:30 pm. I have never been happier to be stuck in NJ traffic in my life.

I am home. I am finally home home.