Spring Break in St. Louis

Our bright spot finally arrived with a spectacular Spring Break adventure. It was, as always when it comes to fun times, too short. It was as fun as it was exhausting, seeing that we planned it right over Day Light Savings time. Instead of losing one hour as usual, we lost two, which made for a very sleepy couple. It was still super enjoyable and a much needed time away! Changes to scenery are always a refreshment to the soul.

Early Saturday morning we left for Springfield, Missouri. It was a rough start with leaving our sweet puppy dog at home with my parents, and then Josh wasn’t feeling well at all (thankfully by the end of Saturday he was feeling much better). The 16 hour drive takes its toll, but being able to enjoy it with your best friend makes it 100x easier. Especially since Springfield holds so many memories for the two of us. We had hoped to hang out with our friends when we made it into Springfield, but we were both exhausted and crashed as soon as we got checked in.

Sleeping heavily, I woke up Sunday morning to some alarming text messages from the group chat with all of the friends we were going to see. They attend a college about five minutes from where we were staying, and one of their apartment buildings caught on fire. It was, fortunately, an unoccupied building and no one was hurt, as soon as I heard this my brain shut back off until it was time to enjoy the day. We went to church, had lunch, and hung out at my best friend Kelsey’s apartment. We were all so tired from the time change and eventful morning (firemen banging on your front door at 5:30 gave them a unexpected early start to their day) that we pretty much napped all afternoon. Even when I tried to wake myself up, I fell right back to sleep.

Sunday night was less lazy since we got a little rest. I was able to eat at my second favorite fast food restaurant (Chic-Fil-A is my number one always and forever), Steak -n- Shake. I got a beautiful Cajun burger, the one that I had craved since the last time I was in Missouri (one year ago). It is the burger I ate way too many times after my shift at Hobby Lobby when I got off at 10:30 p.m. and was all too tired to scrounge for something I had in my dorm. I paired it with a Reece’s Peanut Butter Shake, and man oh man, dare I say it was the best part of the trip? (Jokes). If you get to the midwest sometime, I highly recommend the deliciousness of Steak-n-Shake.

Monday was the most exciting day, as we all (well, most of us) woke early to make the journey to St. Louis (it was about a 3 hour drive). We went to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and to the St. Louis Zoo with a few delicious stops in between.

Our first stop was the Gateway Arch. I had been to it years ago and was really excited to see it again. Josh and I love national parks and get a thrill out of getting our national park stamp at each one we visit. We weren't able to make the trip up into the Arch this time around, but it was really interesting to read about the big part the construction of the Arch played in civil rights. Of course, it's always a great photo op too!

The Arch is so massive, looking up at it makes dizzy! It is a pretty amazing piece of architecture.

One of my favorite parts about being married in the past 9 months has been experiencing everything alongside my best friend. Everything is so much fun when we're together, and I love making memories!

After visiting the Arch, we drove through the city to find lunch. I'm not sure if it's my personality type or because I grew up in the middle of nowhere, cities energize me so much! I get a rush when I see the towering, shiny buildings. I don't want to live in the city, but visiting them is always a blast.

We ate lunch at Mission Taco! It was a very unique and fun restaurant. The tacos were pretty good, but I still prefer the southwestern taco style.

This adorable pizzeria was across the street from Mission Taco, and I wished that tree was in bloom! St. Louis is a really cool city, and I want to go back when its warmer and full of color.

Our last stop was the St. Louis Zoo. I wish we had had more time there, but it was really fun being able to see all the cool animals. The penguins were really close to us, and there was even a sign warning against touching the penguins! They were really active and fun!

The whole trip was a blast and I'm super glad we went. Hopefully next time we go we can stay for a bit longer!