Written by Justin Governale, Thursday 2nd Jun 2011
NYC

So today is the first day of family vacation on the moms side of the family. I am in NYC with 16 family members and we are here for a family vacation/suicide prevention awareness event this weekend. With that being said there are two things in this city I need to see before I leave. One is visit Ground Zero.

As you all know, September 11th forever changed the world as we know it today weather you think it affected you or not. I remember I was only 16 but my mom woke me up early for school that day to watch what had just happened on the news. For me it was not a big deal. A plane crashed into a one of the towers from the World Trade Center buildings, and for a 16 year old, that means peanuts. As I am watching we see the second aircraft strike the second tower. I watch confused as my mom tries to justify what happened blaming low visibility. I guess I agree, but TWO AIRCRAFTS? Anyways I go to school and hear on the radio that other buildings of military significance have also been targeted/hit. I then hear that it was an attack on the United States and now knew that next year when I turned 17, I was going to join the Marine Corps. to go fight. What I am getting at is regardless of my current political views, what happened that day and in that place changed me forever and made me who I am today. I would not be here, nor would I have joined the Marines, nor would I have even maybe left my home town if it wasn’t for the cruel acts that were committed that day on the World Trade Center and the United States. I had about 90% shitty times and about 10% OUTSTANDING times while I served overseas in the USMC, but somehow the 10% made up and some for the miserable/shitty 90%. I got into New York ahead of anyone else in my family so I thought I would go down to Ground Zero to see where my new found origins are now. (picture below)

Where me as well as many others were "reborn"

The SECOND thing I need to do is find a gym to start training at for the week in the Manhattan area. I have a few places in mind, I just need to see how welcome travelers are and what times they will be open. As you all follow my blog, I will keep all of my 3 followers posted on what I decided…(Yes 1 follower includes my stalker mom) LOL