Posted Monday, July 2, 6:30 p.m.
LONDON - Thursday was a day of celebration. My classmates and I had just completed our finals for the Boston University summer program and were ready to go out and rejoice in our new-found freedom.
London's top nightlife districts - Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus - were on the top of the list.
The glowing lights and top clubs at Piccadilly Circus are a big draw for many college students including myself. At least once a week, I take the eight-minute Underground Tube trip from my dormitory to the district to visit my favorite club: the Sports Café. Located on Haymarket Street less than a block away from the top-rated Tiger, Tiger club, the Sports Café is at the heart of London's bustling theater and club scene, which draws in thousands of people each night.
However, I decided not go out Thursday night and opted for a few hours of sleep before catching my early-morning flight to Munich, Germany, where I would be spending the weekend.
When I boarded the plane to Germany, I was oblivious to the news that a Mercedes Benz full of gasoline and nails was sitting near Tiger and another, similarly equipped car was a few hundred yards away. Not until Sunday night did I learn that countless lives were saved while I was away.
"Glasgow Terror" was the headline splashed across a 24-hour German news channel at the airport and was the first signal to me that something was amiss. Soon, images of a burning car filled the screen.
I tried to put the early morning images out my mind. Glasgow, Scotland was hours away from London.
When I landed at Stansted Airport, which is about an hour and a half from London, there was still nothing that was unordinary except a slightly stronger police presence than normal.
It was not until I saw the front pages of Britain's Sunday newspapers when I finally learned the reality of the U.K.'s various failed terrorist bombings that had occurred over the past 36 hours.
LONDON - Thursday was a day of celebration. My classmates and I had just completed our finals for the Boston University summer program and were ready to go out and rejoice in our new-found freedom.
London's top nightlife districts - Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus - were on the top of the list.
The glowing lights and top clubs at Piccadilly Circus are a big draw for many college students including myself. At least once a week, I take the eight-minute Underground Tube trip from my dormitory to the district to visit my favorite club: the Sports Café. Located on Haymarket Street less than a block away from the top-rated Tiger, Tiger club, the Sports Café is at the heart of London's bustling theater and club scene, which draws in thousands of people each night.
However, I decided not go out Thursday night and opted for a few hours of sleep before catching my early-morning flight to Munich, Germany, where I would be spending the weekend.
When I boarded the plane to Germany, I was oblivious to the news that a Mercedes Benz full of gasoline and nails was sitting near Tiger and another, similarly equipped car was a few hundred yards away. Not until Sunday night did I learn that countless lives were saved while I was away.
"Glasgow Terror" was the headline splashed across a 24-hour German news channel at the airport and was the first signal to me that something was amiss. Soon, images of a burning car filled the screen.
I tried to put the early morning images out my mind. Glasgow, Scotland was hours away from London.
When I landed at Stansted Airport, which is about an hour and a half from London, there was still nothing that was unordinary except a slightly stronger police presence than normal.
It was not until I saw the front pages of Britain's Sunday newspapers when I finally learned the reality of the U.K.'s various failed terrorist bombings that had occurred over the past 36 hours.
