From PRX, this is the Moth Radio Hour.

I'm Meg Bowles, and in this hour, stories of unexpected challenges.

From taking on the Pakistan Air Force to free-climbing one of the tallest buildings in Doha,

we'll hear stories of the things people do to overcome obstacles and sometimes face a very

real fear, like our first storyteller, Lucy Dancer, who confronted her anxiety in an elevator.

From the rich mix in London, here's Lucy Dancer,

live and a moth story slam.

Okay, so this time last year,

my boyfriend got a job for seven months in New York City.

And mainly because the job came with a free apartment,

I decided to go with him.

So he went out ahead of me,

and the day before I was due to join him,

I called to ask for our address.

And he told me that we were gonna be living

in Midtown Manhattan on the 44th floor

of an apartment building with a view of Central Park and the Hudson River.

Now, I know that this is a excellent address, but when he told me that all I felt was absolute

sheer terror. And the reason for that, and keep in mind that my boyfriend knew this, is that I am scared of lifts.

And when I say scared, I mean I was a 29-year-old woman who had never used a lift unaccompanied.

I was terrified of lifts, and now I was going to live on the 44th floor.

So I flew out to New York, and I can't say initially it was terrible, although I was uncomfortable.

...