Today marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11/01. For those of us in the United States, this is a pivotal day in our nation's history.

Where was I?

I lived in the Washington D.C. area, in Fairfax, Virginia.

I'd just pulled into my driveway, home from a shopping trip, and got the kids out of the car. I heard a loud boom.

I thought a transformer blew somewhere in the neighborhood. We'd had one explode a few weeks before and the sound was similar, though less loud.

I was wrong.

Fifteen miles away from my house, a plane hit the Pentagon.

My next-door neighbor was in that building. We wouldn't find out until much later that day he was on the opposite side of the Pentagon and was okay.

The skies were eerily silent for days. I remember the still quiet in our normally bustling city, in our busy neighborhood, on our vibrant street. Our sense of community, always strong, became tighter and more united. I still miss my old neighborhood.

And I will never forget 9/11/01.