The Good In Tennessee

The last time I posted about Nashville it was informative but probably not all that positive, and then last week I talked about finding the beauty in where I am as if it's where I'm staying forever... so here's to that.

The good in Tennessee.

- People are pretty nice here, a lot of them aren't locals but I think a lot of us that have come from non-southern locations are doing our best to keep southern hospitality. It probably doesn't look quite the same, but we're trying.

- BBQ. Delicious. Hot Chicken. Oh so good. So, before I go on and on, the food. The food is good (and heavy) here.

- You can get to farms and small towns in a short drive. I can find views of horses and farms in just about any direction 30+ minutes tops.

- There is water! San Diego is still in a drought even though they had some rain, but here I don't have to worry about the length of my shower, I don't have to worry about watering a lawn (I don't have a lawn but if I did...), I can wash my dishes and a load of laundry and even shower if I want at the same time without worry about getting charged (I might be worrying about the temperature of the water at that point though.)

- I drove behind a tractor pulling a HUGE load of hay! I was five minutes from my house!

- The servers at Waffle House. I just experienced that experience. Special is the word I have for the stories I heard in a 45 minute span. It was also 2am. Prime Waffle House time I think.

- Being that we are mostly a group of people from other places we get that it's hard to go somewhere new and not know too many people. I would say it's definitely easier to make friends here and get people to do things than it was when I moved to Portland.

- Summer nights, even when there's no plans. Sitting on my balcony just listening to the sounds, wrapped in the humid air. I didn't think that would be a huge positive on my list, but here I am, a little in love.

- Luke Bryan lives here... and I've seen him. I've even said hi, and handed him a menu. Once I even put a plate of food down at his table... (did you think of Mean Girls? I did.) Which was listed before, but I'm listing it again.

- The gas here is significantly cheaper than San Diego. Or it was when I moved here and I just kept believing that's true.

- Downtown Franklin during the holidays is absolutely charming and wonderful

- The old houses! Oh my goodness I could fall in love with these huge houses, mansions if you will. Colonnades, wrap around porches and long driveways! They are beautiful all year round, and in the snow, they were absolutely breathtaking.

- Back roads to just about anywhere I want to go. Yes, it will take me longer, but the views are so very worth it.

- Interlibrary Loan - if the 20 libraries in Nashville city don't have it, they can request it from other cities and states!

I think that this is just the beginning, here's to more posts like this.

To be continued...

xoxo

An Argument for Staying Put

I've been on the run for years now. Always wanting to go somewhere other than where I was am. Getting lost in other people's pictures of adventures around the world, or even just around the states. I moved to Portland three times because the forests seemed greener... I moved back to San Diego three times because the palm trees seemed cheerier.

Then I moved to Nashville, and about two months in I realized things were nothing like I expected or wanted them to be. Since then my mind has been up to it's old tricks, looking for the next place to roam. The next place that will ultimately disappoint, not because of anything it lacks, but because I don't know how to stay. I've been avoiding commitment with Nashville, I've been looking at all the other places there are to go. I'm wondering how fair that is to myself. Nashville and Tennessee don't care, they have people flocking here daily, but me, for peace of mind, for happiness, is this constant "pick up and go" fair?

I am limited lately, which may be a blessing in disguise or a lesson I am finally going to sit down and learn. So here I stay. While I stay here I could continue to dream of all the other places I could go... back home, Colorado, Montana, the Carolinas... but I would just be continuing to make myself a touch miserable.

There needs to be a balance. I am definitely allowed to want to see the states. I can dream all I want of cross country road trips, hiking in Arizona and Utah (in the cooler but not cold months, let's be real here), watching the sun rise again at Horseshoe Bend, those are allowed to be goals. But they can't be the only goals. It's time to start making an effort with Nashville again, finding the little bits of things I want, making connections, making this place home. I don't have to be here forever, but maybe I should start acting like I will be. Start making the best of it like there are no other options. Start giving this space a little more respect.

I chose to be here. I drove from San Diego with just about all I own crammed in my car to check this out. It's not Tennessee's job to impress me, she's not the one who loses out. I wanted to be here. It's my job to stay put for a while, it's my job to make the most of it. It's my job to find what I am looking for, right where I am.

It's no where else. It's all inside.

So here's to staying put, and somehow embarking on far more treacherous and challenging journeys, right at home, in my mind.

xoxo