We're just real Topeka people, man

On Thursday, a 13 year-old dream was fulfilled: I climbed all the way to the top of the Capitol dome.

I was originally supposed to do this years ago, when I was a mere third grader in Mr. Howard's class. He had made it sound so exciting, that we would first be dodging cars as we crossed the street (after looking both ways, of course) and climb the many steps to the top. I was SO pumped to go after he talked it up for a couple of weeks. But then eight year-old Elena got very sick the night before the much-anticipated field trip and could not go.

Years have passed, and that eight year-old Elena has turned into 21 year-old Elena-- a real live adult. Another opportunity arose to reach this goal when one of my professors announced we would be doing this for class. I'm in a Digital Art Media class and we frequently go on field trips to photograph.

Hesitation filled me when the moment finally arrived to ascend. I heard some classmates chatting about how scary the climb is, especially the moment right before you reach the top-- the spiral staircase. You first climb to about the ninth floor, I think, and from there you step on this one staircase that seems to not be attached to anything, seemingly like walking across the air. Once there, you reach the spiral which appears to never end. Going up isn't nearly as bad as going down, however. If you're going up, you can pretend nothing else in the world exists, save for the step right in front of you. I would encourage this method when going down, too. It's much more difficult not to look at how high up you are and how the shoes you are wearing may not have been the best-- flats, let's say.

But once you really are at the top and can step outside, the view is amazing. You can look down on all Topeka, the perfect bird's eye-view. Adventure! Here are some photos from that day:

This is the interior dome. But there's another dome beyond THAT!

Here are a couple of my classmates surveying their surroundings. This is beyond the interior dome in that first shot.

Another view past the interior dome.

Here is the last dome, and all the stairs leading up to it.... take note of the spiral, which is the very, very top.

Atop the spiral.

Outside now!

Standing on top of Topeka! I want to go again!