Adventures of Erin, Aren, Tanner & Leila too!: 35W Collapse

As the entire country knows by now, the 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi this week. This really hits home for Yooper and I on SO many levels. Knowing that I would have been at work all night with the rest of the GIS team at Minneapolis and quite possibly in the Emergency Operations Center alongside the government officials and other emergency coordinators, Yooper being a Civil Engineer and understanding too well the engineering and funding deficiencies faced by Minnesota's roads, and most of all, the friends we left there and fearing for all their safety. I watched CNN long into the night on Wednesday and was fairly thankful that Tanner was playing outside with the neighbors and Yooper was at a work function as the news unfolded considering the puddle of tears I became. Call it hormones or whatever (yes, I'm sure that factored in :) ) but the feeling of helplessness was so strong. It was such an eerie feeling watching the news conferences and seeing people you worked with and knew on CNN. Knowing that the MECC (Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center) had transformed into a war room of sorts and having been a small (okay, very small) part of the planning for such a disaster, it was just so surreal to take in from 4000 miles away.

Luckily, so far no one we know was on the bridge at the time however we heard from Josh yesterday that he drove under the bridge on West River Parkway less than 10 minutes before the collapse. It also sounds like most people who work or live in or around downtown know someone who had either just crossed the bridge or was about to cross the bridge. A close call felt by all and no doubt more than tragic for others.

While living there, the bridge was not one that I crossed often, maybe once or twice a month. Usually on the way north to go camping or perhaps to go shopping in Roseville for something I couldn't buy on the south end of town. I drove under this bridge on the parkway far more often. It was the scenic route home on the days I drove instead of taking the train. I always thought it was so neat driving down along the rivers edge with the bridges so far overhead. Bridges always are so much more beautiful from below. The arches and trusses and the weird echoes of the traffic above. There's a lot you don't see from above.

The parkway underneath the bridge is gorgeous through every season in Minneapolis. My favorite days (oddly enough now that I live in Hawaii) were one or two days a season that defined that season perfectly. Winter was the mornings that you'd get that thick heavy sloppy snow that sticks to everything and each tree limb, street sign, and blade of grass was perfectly outlined with a layer of pure white. Spring was the first truly warm day when the sidewalks and trails along the parkway would erupt with all the bikers, runners, hikers, rollerbladers, and moms with strollers who where so sick with cabin fever that had to soak up as much sunshine and warmth as possible. Summer was the days that the temperature and humidity were just perfect (hard to come by in the Midwest) on a Friday afternoon with the weekend ahead and again, the joyful mood that would radiate from everyone on the street. Fall was the day, of course, when the fall colors were so brilliant all you can think about was taking in as much as possible because you'd have to wait an entire year to catch another day so beautiful. I do miss all of that. Not to say that I regret the decision to move one bit. The wonderful thing about Hawaii is that days with that much beauty are far more common. The mountains and the ocean and all the wonderful creatures are incredible everyday but it is a different kind of beauty. There will always be a part of my heart that belongs to the seasons in the Midwest and perhaps someday (a long long time from now!!!!) we will return. For now we are taking in as much here as possible but will continue to think of our friends back in the twin cities. I think all of you know our hearts go out to you and we think of you constantly. Thanks to you guys who send out emails to let us know you were okay. Just one of those events that gets you all warm and sentimental inside and reminds you how thankful you are for what you have.