In 2010 (it is 2019) after finishing my first trimester at college teaching and studying under Fulbright scholarship, I found out that I could have about 7 weeks off until next trimester starts. So I decided to go… I draw a map of cities around the USA and started my way to Chicago in November 2010. It has been a very long time since I made this trip but life can become so busy – it swirls events and people, mixes all together and breaks apart. Next few years I kept finding myself in completely different working and living environments but unchangeable and adventurous me started thinking about writing and sharing all the stories with those who would like to hear me out.
After visiting Chicago, Illionios for short 3 days, I moved my location to Indianapolis, Indiana, and after that to St Louis, Missouri.
I was not exactly planning to go to St Louis, for my actual destination was Kansas City (I had a flight to Cancun, Mexico from Kansas City International airport), but to make my trip more amusing I thought I would like to explore St Louis on my way. Well, the city was, indeed, very welcoming and beautiful; however, I have a few thought-provoking stories to tell about people, the weather, and the holiday in this city.
So, I took a Greyhound bus arriving in St Louis sometime in the afternoon. The first sign of one of the most favorite American holiday, Thanksgiving day, was the fact that my city bus had not arrived on time to take me to the Greyhound station in Indianapolis. Frankly speaking, I started thinking I would have to walk again because I waited for too long, there were no people on the streets and neither any cars. I could not understand what was happening. I absolutely could have predicted that was I well-informed about Thanksgiving holiday celebration tradition in the US. Sadly, the second bus did not arrive, and the third did not either. Luckily, I had an insightful decision if I didn’t catch the fourth scheduled bus I would go to the center city on foot since I had been able to do that a day ago. In the end, in about 45-50 min I finally got on the bus that took me where I needed to be.
At the bus station, there were a few people. I found my bus and headed my way to St Louis. The weather suddenly changed: it was cold and wet outside. I was gloomy and sad and so was my mood. The only thing that kept me motivated was a cup of coffee that I picked up on the gas station and a couple of cookies. The weather was not the only reason why I was feeling cautious. My plan was to stay in St Louis only during the day and explore until my next bus to Kansas City at 4 am. Thus, I adopted the thought that there was no reason to book any accommodation. I could wait at the bus station until my KC but departure.
As we were getting closer to St Louis, I saw an outstanding arch structure on the other side of the river. It was attracting me and I knew where I had to go once I arrived at the station.
In St Louis the weather deteriorated to sleet and unpleasant wind, a very cold unpleasant wind. I took my luggage and started my way to the Arch that I had seen from the bus window. As soon as I came closer to it, I knew that the place where I occurred was downtown, but it was looking a little strange. The shops were closed, there were NO people on the streets, and even fast food restaurants were not working. The city started looking somewhat scary. Unexpectedly, I noted a very pleasant looking hotel on my way. At least that one was working. The lobby was beautiful and, to my complete surprise, it seemed as though all the people that I had been looking for until that moment appeared in this same hotel. It was packed. There were people at the restaurant, talking and walking, in the lobby smiling and having some pleasant time. And here I was, contrary to all of them, exhausted as a hound dog with my bag over the shoulder and a computer that weighed two tons. I found myself in an armchair and put my computer on my lap pretending I was very busy and important. The lobby with all those pleasantly spending time people was my only shelter from the cold outside. I opened the computer and hit the Wi-Fi button and saw a free internet access. I thought it was the best hotel in my life, and it was so sad I did not have a room there for myself. I spent about 2 hours in the lobby writing and talking to friends. I had to spend time somehow because there were many more hours until my bus departs to Kansas City.
While doing some research, I checked my next bus pickup location. I had Megabus tickets, and as I was explaining in the previous article (Indianapolis), there was no designated station for Megabus bus system. No maintenance station explained the cheaper price. My next pickup place was Union Station in St Louis, so I concluded I had to, at least, go and find it. I thought it was tolerable if I would not explore the city as much as I planned anymore because of weather condition. Unpredictably, when I left the hotel, to which I owe my sanity, the sky was clear from snow and rain, and that postponed my plans to give up. I turned around the corner and … there it was – the Arch. Happily, I found the path, and even the fact that there were no people there either, it did not bother me anymore. I walked a little bit around it, took a few pictures and I was satisfied. I liked the city! It appeared to be unusual and mystical for me.
The pickup location for Megabus bus was at Union Station, about an hour of walking. On my way there, I found some fast food restaurant, and it was actually open. Alas! I was going to eat that day. I consumed another couple of hours to bring myself closer to my departure time. While walking to the Megabus pickup location, I was reflecting over a few things. I learned that I could stay in the hotel’s lobby and use its Wi-fi and that I can leave my luggage at any hotel’s storage room. It was a very convenient way to survive in a city that you did not plan on staying overnight. In addition to all that, I learned that I absolutely have to reserve a room in Kansas City which had not done before, and I did not want to regret it.
I finally arrived at Union Station. It was open but it was not a train station as I thought. It was a relatively big mall area with some attractions, restaurants, stores and a hotel. As far as I understood it, in fact, served to be a train station, but people of St Louis decided to keep it as an architectural inheritance, and as a place to spare their time when it was so nasty outside, of course.
The wreath of my St Louis exploration had become a gorgeous Marriott hotel’s lobby with red velvet chairs, mosaics on the glass and walls, pained baroque style and with the dome on top of all people having a chat and a drink in their hands. It was a pleasure to spend some time there. I remember I called a few people via Skype, and I was surprised they were interested in my trip’s progress. It made me feel more courageous. I had enough time to do further research and reserve accommodation in Kansas City very close to the airport for I was going to Cancun, Mexico in two days. Nevertheless, after such plentiful cold weather days and exhaustion, I came to a conclusion that if don’t manage to explore Kansas City I could rest and be safe. It was a wise and mature decision. I paid 80 dollars. It would seem a lot of money before I arrived in St Louis, but at that moment I valued my decision and learned a great lesson – don’t rely on a bit of good luck.
Another remarkable thing that I would like to mention in this article is the people of the Midwest. It was a different kind. It seemed that people in the Midwest always wanted to help, they cared, and they advised well. So did a few workers at the hotel I was spending my time. Reception stored my luggage even though they, probably, should not have. They also told me what places I should see in St Louis and advised me that even if the lobby was going to be closed at 1 am, I could freely stay at Union Station. Union Station mall and the Marriott hotel were adjacent so I could wait for my bus there. Owing to them, I was able to explore St Louis once again before it became too late at night, rest, and stay somewhat safe. At 12 am (with 4 more hours to go) I left the lobby to that contiguous mall to spend the remaining of time for the bus there. I watched a movie that I downloaded on my computer on the floor and waited patiently. The bus had arrived at 5 am instead of 4 am and we departed to Kansas City at around 6 am at last. It was a very happy one way road trip. The sun rose and it was indeed a very happy atmosphere. I tried to sleep a little on the bus but I was too excited to fall asleep, so I just stared at the moving road out of the window. Since I was the very first person in the line for boarding, (funnily enough, I happen to willingly wait for 5 hours) I could reserve 2 seats in the first row on the second floor with the panoramic view only for myself. Today, you have to pay extra money for those kinds of seats on the Megabus website before reserving. I had it for free. It should have paid off somewhere or somehow, right?
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