Christmas in Sydney Surviving my first terrorist attack

Welcome back aboard another voyage into my life journey! Today we are going to journey back to a more serious moment in my life. Today we set sail on an ocean of emotions.

I spent my first few days aboard The Century getting my bearings. I explored Sydney, I got to know the ship, and I started getting to know the people. For the most part though I enjoyed exploring alone. That was until the attack. One day in harbor a man had placed bombs around the city. They were all found and disarmed with no casualties but that didn't stop the terrorist. Once he was surrounded he decided to take shelter in a local coffee and chocolate shop. A shop that most of us on the ship went to inorder to stock up for the next journey.

He held the shop up at gunpoint. The situation lasted for hours for the hostages. Luckily I was not among them. I was on that street earlier that day. I stopped by a shop down the street to stock up on supplies and I walked by the chocolate shop as I rushed back to the ship to make it in time before we set sail. We found out later that night two people had died in the gun fire as SWAT tried to save the day. It was a surreal moment knowing if I had been there a few hours later that it could have been me.

What was even more surreal was how Australia responded. The next week we returned to Sydney. This time I choose to go explore the city with a friend. We walked by the Chocolate shop to see that for blocks the street was filled with flowers and candles. There were notes written by citizens expressing their emotions and showing their love to the families affected!

You couldn't make it 2 blocks without tearing up! You could physically feel the emotions in the air and even a week later the streets were filled with citizens and tourists showing their respect.

As an American I'll always be able to remember where I was when the attack happened on 9/11. I always remember how I felt as a sixth grader watching those towers fall. Watching the people jump out of the windows of the buildings, holding themselfs tight, knowing it was a better option then burning alive. I always remember the hate I felt, the pain, and the heart ache because at such a young age I had no idea how to deal with those emotions! As an American I saw those flowers and I saw those people crying, grieving, and loving one another. I knew then what it was to be Australian. To find love in a time of hate. To find compassion in a time of distrust. To look at a community distraught from suffering and fear and to express it in kindness.

On September 9th, 2011 I didn't have someone to teach me how to respond with Love. Instead I had the mainstream media telling me that this meant war. That people had to pay for this suffering. But on the week of December 20th I had all of Sydney to teach me that no attack of hate could ever overpower a unified at of love.