We had 1 hour to complete our final architecture project that entailed a class competition to see who could create the tallest structure with a budget of 5 dollars. Our only requirements: must be aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound.

And so I sat there, outside, in 40 degree weather bundled in winter jackets, winter hats, and winter gloves, shaking and thinking that this was the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life. I cursed design inept architectural engineers, repeating again and again that I should be an architect. I muttered under my breath making angry clouds in the cold, crisp air. And that's when I saw him.

Finally.

Against the dark, I could see his thin silhouette made of broad shoulders and a small waist. But some monstrosity was growing from his back. My eyes squinted and I cursed again for being an ARCE.

He came up to me with a clumsy smile holding 20 some odd skittle colored balloons. My anger quickly dissappated as I saw him. He looked like he had just stolen Santa's Bag of presents.

From behind him came another boy. Taller this time and laughing, carrying another 10 white balloons. Then 3 other boys carrying backpacks full of rocks and rolls of string amounting to 1000 ft in total.

It was time to get to work.

We unraveled each roll of ribbon, string, and twine, making organized rows of 150 ft long lanes. Around the same time our boy scouts were making balloon knots, the master planner came riding out on his low ride bike with 10 more balloons trailing his speedy arrival. We quickly tiered the three layers of balloons to produce a 20 ft. structure with a spire reaching to another 50 ft in the air attached to the long strips of ribbon and string that we tied to our rock filled backpacks paying no attention to the other groups that were in the process of raising their concrete, cardboard made structures.

Architecture students began to pop their heads out of their studios, a couple bystanders were accumulating and people began looking at us, curiously wondering what we were doing. And in one single motion all five of us took a backpack and walked backwards as our group leader released the balloons. At that same moment, our professor came walking up laughing

if i ever saw...

40 balloons rose into the cobalt blue skies warping Dexter Lawn into an entirely new space that redefined the look and feel of not only the exterior space, but our faces as well. We all watched, glowing in the cold air and moonlight, watching as this simple structure fostered childish smiles and honest laughter out of our stressful lives. The wind was soft and the skies were clear with a bright moon shining an incandescent glow onto our balloons that floated with the stars. And as I stared at our structure, forgetting completely about the competition and finals and everything, I smiled.