It was sensory whiplash. I was having to deal with two starkly different realities. The reality of post 9/11 America and its aftermath flashing on TV screens and headlines and the reality of my journey, the memory that was so fresh in my mind of this incredible WOW experience that was so transformative. I didn't know how to deal with this clash until I started to sit down and write about what I saw and remembered over there because it was my truth, I witnessed it with my eyes and nothing could ever take that away from me. I also felt a sense of obligation to record what I experienced because the stories were so rich. I couldn't just keep them all to myself, which is why I wrote the book.