Letter from New York - Sept. 11, 2001

Editor's Note: Christina Nelson is a senior at New York University majoring in journalism. She is a Douglas High School graduate and worked as an intern for the last two years at the Nevada Appeal. Her parents are Gardnerville residents.

Hi everyone,

If you don't live in New York, I'm sending you this email to tell you everything is ok. I can't call anyone because everyone in the entire city is trying to do the same and nobody can get through.

This morning, right before I left for class, I got a call from my roommate, who left a few minutes before me. She told me to come downstairs and get her camera because something just exploded and she thought it was the World Trade Center. I didn't believe her.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were standing in the streets just staring at the building. It was the most surreal thing I have ever seen. Well, after just half an hour of class I stopped by one of my professor's offices -- she had just watched the first tower collapse from her office window. Then when a friend and I were leaving Washington Square we heard people screaming and running toward the south end of the park where there's a clear view of the World Trade Center. The second tower had just collapsed.

Now we're all just pacing and listening to the radio and checking every news web site. Classes were canceled and all of us just don't know what to do with ourselves. We're going to St. Vincent's hospital a couple of blocks away to donate blood.

I'll keep in touch.

Christina