Compass Currents

From Nashville to Kansas: Gateway Arch, Friends, and Family Memories

Our journey continued with a long drive across four states—Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, and finally Kansas—where we reached the official geographic center of the contiguous 48 United States. Along the way, we checked off our first National Park of the trip, the magnificent Gateway Arch in St. Louis, reunited with dear friends we hadn’t seen in over two decades, and ended the day surrounded by family.

June 30th

The drive from Nashville to Kansas was mostly uneventful, with endless stretches of cornfields, miles of orange construction barrels, and an almost constant parade of 18-wheelers sharing the highway. But every mile was worth it once the iconic Gateway Arch came into view.

Standing at 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide, the Arch is a masterpiece of modern engineering—simple, elegant, and surprisingly inspiring. Although there is so much more to explore in St. Louis, the scorching summer heat, hovering around 100°F (37°C), limited how much time we wanted to spend outdoors. Even so, seeing America’s tallest monument in person made for a memorable stop on our adventure.

One of the highlights of the day was reconnecting with our longtime friends, Hajra and Amir, after more than 20 years. It was one of those reunions where time seemed to disappear—they looked exactly as we remembered them, and their warmth and hospitality hadn’t changed a bit. We spent hours reminiscing about old memories, catching up on life’s journeys, and sharing stories about how our children have grown into adults and begun building lives of their own. It was a reminder that friendships can pick up right where they left off, no matter how many years have passed.

From St. Louis, we continued west into Kansas, where we were welcomed by family. While I’ve visited before, this was the first time Rekhshan and Ali had the opportunity to experience Kansas. As always, Huma and family were wonderful hosts, making us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. Family visits have a special way of blending nostalgia with new experiences, allowing us to relive cherished memories while creating plenty of new ones together.

During our stay, we also visited Avila University, the alma mater of my older brother, Shariq. Walking through the campus and having heard stories from his college days added another meaningful chapter to our journey.

We’ll be heading west toward Denver. As we prepare for the next leg of our adventure, we’re keeping a close eye on the wildfires in Colorado and Utah. Thankfully, all of the National Parks on our itinerary remain open, and we’re hopeful that conditions will stay favorable so we can continue exploring some of the most spectacular landscapes North America has to offer.

Stay tuned—our adventure is just getting started!