Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Making it to the Top

I just got back earlier today from a wonderful experience at a professional conference.  The highlight of the trip: a night out on the town in St. Louis, MO. 

The last time I was in St. Louis it was 2am, I was with my Alternative Spring Break group, and was a sophomore in college.  I was saddened that we couldn't explore the city and being only 20 at the time, I would have been limited to the night life experience.

Flash forward to almost 4 years later and I finally got my night in St. Louis.  I was ecstatic.

The conference had organized buses for us to take to the city.  Our first stop was the St. Louis Arch.  Let me tell you - what a beautiful monument.  When I found out you could ride to the top of that thing - I was ready to go.  So, I got in line with some friends and awaited our capsule to take it to the top.  This capsule that you travel in is probably the scariest thing I've been in for some time.  It literally is shaped like a tiny egg that has 5 little seats for people to cram in to take to the top of the arch.  These were not designed for present day - and I highly doubt they will ever be modified.  As the door closed, I felt a slight tightening in my chest for fear of getting stuck along the way. 

We also wondered as we traveled to the top if there is a weight limit or what do you do if you are over 6'5, would you even fit inside?  Thankfully, there was a tiny window at the front that allowed us to see the inside of the arch as we traveled to the top - this eased my claustrophobia.  

The top offered a beautiful night view of the city - and the scariest/most amazing part was we could feel the arch sway with the wind.

All in all, St. Louis proved to be a city worth visiting and lived up to my expectations as a 20 year old.  The arch can now be taken off my bucket list - you won't be getting me in those little capsules again.

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