So I am way overdue to blog about my Saint Louis trip!! I’ve been stressing over writing this and trying to include all the details… Well I guess I’ll just have to give up on the idea of this post being perfect and just go for it! Now that I am caught up on my sleep and feel like my brain is fully functioning again it’s probably the perfect time for me to recap.
My trip started BRIGHT AND EARLY last Wednesday, the flight left at 8:45am and being the paranoid, over prepared, crazy person I am I felt the need to be there 2 hours early… so 6:45am at DIA it was… which meant leaving Castle Rock at 6:00am… UGH! If you know me at all you KNOW I am not a morning person, so this was pretty difficult! But in the long run, I was on time for my flight, my carry-on successfully made it through security (without them even trying to take away my cheepy travel size hairspray,) and I even had enough time to swing by Starbucks to grab a latte before finally finding my gate at the farthest possible point in the airport.
Once safely on board I started chatting with the girl next to me (Kortney) and oddly enough we found out we were both going to the same conference, we were both stressed about traveling by ourselves, and we were both sad to leave our husbands behind. Which led to an instant friendship! We were able to share a cab to the conference and even had hotel rooms right down the hall from each other! Thankfully this made the trip more exciting than I had anticipated.
After our first day at the conference, and far too much information to jam pack into my brain, we had some free time and decided to explore good ol Saint Louis. Our gorgeous hotel (The Hyatt Regency) was located right across the street from the famous Arch.
Gorgeous Bathrooms
And the most amazing view of the Mississippi River from my room!
After an impromptu photo session in front of the arch, Kortney led me grumbling and complaining into a tiny, itsy bitsy little pod that took us to the top of the arch… This “pod” was only 4 ½ feet tall and sat 5 people! Now I’m not claustrophobic but put me in a tiny steel pod, with strangers, on an extremely warm humid day and yes I will start to hyperventilate! Thankfully the trip up was quick and the views of Saint Louis from the top of the Arch were absolutely worth it!
The Arch from outside our hotel…
Our hotel from the Arch
The Park around the Arch
Me at the Arch
A few pictures of the Arch
The pod door to the top of the Arch!
The tiny little steel pod that took us to the top.
Me & Kortney in the Pod
Inside the top of the Arch
Looking out the windows in the Arch
Gorgeous view of Downtown Saint Louis from the Arch
The Cardinals game from the Arch
Once safely down on the ground we decided to venture back to the hotel to grab some dinner. The hotel had some amazing restaurants like Ruth’s Chris, but we opted for a sports bar with incredible barbeque and great beer called Brewhouse. The food was wonderful and the beer was exactly what I needed after such a looooong day!
The rest of the trip wasn’t quiet as eventful as the first day, but I learned a lot, ate way too much food (they fed us like crazy at the conference; including all our basic meals, two snacks a day, with frozen custard, YUM!) and met some really great people.
All in all the conference was exactly what I needed to take my career to the next level. I made some key contacts, took away lots of valuable information, and most importantly learned that I wasn’t alone in my frustrations & concerns with this industry. Knowing that there are other people out there doing the same job, struggling with the same rules, and getting past it all to do the best job possible was truly priceless. So even though I was dreading going on this trip, I feel like it really helped me grow professionally and personally.
Hopefully the next time I’m forced to travel by myself, take carry-on luggage and navigate a new city I’ll be much more prepared and much more excited for the opportunity I GET to experience!
Xoxo ~Jamie
My trip started BRIGHT AND EARLY last Wednesday, the flight left at 8:45am and being the paranoid, over prepared, crazy person I am I felt the need to be there 2 hours early… so 6:45am at DIA it was… which meant leaving Castle Rock at 6:00am… UGH! If you know me at all you KNOW I am not a morning person, so this was pretty difficult! But in the long run, I was on time for my flight, my carry-on successfully made it through security (without them even trying to take away my cheepy travel size hairspray,) and I even had enough time to swing by Starbucks to grab a latte before finally finding my gate at the farthest possible point in the airport.
Once safely on board I started chatting with the girl next to me (Kortney) and oddly enough we found out we were both going to the same conference, we were both stressed about traveling by ourselves, and we were both sad to leave our husbands behind. Which led to an instant friendship! We were able to share a cab to the conference and even had hotel rooms right down the hall from each other! Thankfully this made the trip more exciting than I had anticipated.
After our first day at the conference, and far too much information to jam pack into my brain, we had some free time and decided to explore good ol Saint Louis. Our gorgeous hotel (The Hyatt Regency) was located right across the street from the famous Arch.
My very comfy bed!
Gorgeous Bathrooms
And the most amazing view of the Mississippi River from my room!
After an impromptu photo session in front of the arch, Kortney led me grumbling and complaining into a tiny, itsy bitsy little pod that took us to the top of the arch… This “pod” was only 4 ½ feet tall and sat 5 people! Now I’m not claustrophobic but put me in a tiny steel pod, with strangers, on an extremely warm humid day and yes I will start to hyperventilate! Thankfully the trip up was quick and the views of Saint Louis from the top of the Arch were absolutely worth it!
The Arch from outside our hotel…
Our hotel from the Arch
The Park around the Arch
Me at the Arch
A few pictures of the Arch
The pod door to the top of the Arch!
The tiny little steel pod that took us to the top.
Me & Kortney in the Pod
Inside the top of the Arch
Looking out the windows in the Arch
Gorgeous view of Downtown Saint Louis from the Arch
The Cardinals game from the Arch
Once safely down on the ground we decided to venture back to the hotel to grab some dinner. The hotel had some amazing restaurants like Ruth’s Chris, but we opted for a sports bar with incredible barbeque and great beer called Brewhouse. The food was wonderful and the beer was exactly what I needed after such a looooong day!
The rest of the trip wasn’t quiet as eventful as the first day, but I learned a lot, ate way too much food (they fed us like crazy at the conference; including all our basic meals, two snacks a day, with frozen custard, YUM!) and met some really great people.
All in all the conference was exactly what I needed to take my career to the next level. I made some key contacts, took away lots of valuable information, and most importantly learned that I wasn’t alone in my frustrations & concerns with this industry. Knowing that there are other people out there doing the same job, struggling with the same rules, and getting past it all to do the best job possible was truly priceless. So even though I was dreading going on this trip, I feel like it really helped me grow professionally and personally.
Hopefully the next time I’m forced to travel by myself, take carry-on luggage and navigate a new city I’ll be much more prepared and much more excited for the opportunity I GET to experience!
Xoxo ~Jamie
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