Rocky Top Tennessee!!
Greetings! I have returned!
For those of you who didn't know, which I'm almost certain is all of you, I went to Tennessee this past week. That's right, just up and went, cuz I felt like it. If you'll recall that post about the whole Tennessee roadtrip ordeal, well, I decided to take matters into my own hands and just up and went by myself. I did however have a more targeted time to travel. At the request of my Tennessee native friend Catherine, I headed up this past week to see her and Elizabeth's junior recitals for their musical theatre degree. And they were lovely.
But let's start at the beginning:
Josh dropped me off at a shady, dimly lit bus station near downtown Orlando. To quote Josh, "wow." It was full of shady, dimly lit people, crazy people, annoying people, and just downright dirty looking people. Occasionally there was someone who came off more like I did, some young person who just had to have a tighter budget to travel. But since I looked like I was a homeless transient who just happened to have a giant suitcase, I blended right in. Actually, no, I was completely new to the experience and I'm sure that showed. I weighed my suitcase and found out I had too much stuff and had to hand Josh a portion of my clothes. Then after I gave the driver my ticket I found out my bag was improperly tagged and had to get that done at the last minute. But in the end, no worries. I didn't hold anyone up, got on the bus, had a pair of seats to myself, and after an hour or so I went to sleep and had a pleasant trip north.
Our first pit stop was in Marietta, Georgia, at a Love's travel station, which I've always liked. So I hopped off to stretch my legs and call the girls in Tennessee to let them know everything was on schedule. When I got off, it must had been 1 in the morning and friggin' cold! I was bundled up a good deal, but I could barely stand it outside, it was frigid. So I climbed back on the bus and didn't think about getting back off until our transfer in Atlanta. When that came to, it was cold as hell! It was almost funny watching all the Floridians freak out over the temperature but force themselves to wait outside to claim their luggage and then dart back indoors.
After an hour I got on the bus bound for Tennessee, and this time it was packed. I shared by seat with this guy who seemed alright. But then he started talking regularly, and I think he was giving me tips regarding prostitutes and crack dealers, in both Orlando and Chattanooga. My side of the conversation became very smile-and-nod. Then I slept some more. When I woke up, he continued talking. And then there was the kid on the other side of me who would not stop talking. And I could only understand every fifth word out of his mouth, but he really wanted to keep the conversation going. It was also smile-and-nod with him too.
But finally... I reached my destination: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE!
Cat was circling the bus station, I was on the phone with her, stepping out of the station, and she pulled right up and picked me up. I jumped in the car and was greeted by the prettiest, most excited smile I've seen in a long while. I gave her a hug and exclaimed my excitement just to be there, and we headed down to Belmont University. We had to get back in time to make one of her classes. So I got out my "gloves" and prepared for the Tennessee weather as we strolled around the campus. the campus was gorgeous by the way. She was giving me a small tour the whole way there, and then she introduced me to her friends, who were so inviting. Then we headed over to tap class where I found Liz, and then I sat in the corner watching her class. This was pretty much the way of the day; I followed each of them to classes and met their friends until we could go back to their apartment. I got a short tour of their place, it was cute, and then it was time to have an outing. Now here's the thing, I was there to see their recitals, which they had to prepare for and attend, so that shaped the entire weekend. The first thing to do was meet most of the girls I had met with Cat.. at the salon. Liz and the girls were getting manicures and pedicures so they'd look all purty for their recitals. Cat didn't want that much, so she went in for one little thing for about five minutes. I waited on the side of the salon where I could breathe. As soon as she was done, we headed across the street to the mall and strolled around until we met her mom. Her mom was so sweet, and treated us to Starbucks. I thought her mom was wonderful, and she thought I was great too. It was nice. Then Cat and I continued to stroll in hopes I could find a scarf to go with my "gloves", and we did. And then I tracked down a copy of the Watchmen. Just cuz.
Back at the apartment we hung out a little, set up my room (the couch), and then went to bed so Cat would be well rested for her recital the next day.
The next two days were all about the recitals. I went to attend Cat and Liz's, but I also attended every other one as well. The girls had too, and I was with them. Also, when I found myself walking around Belmont by myself, I came across some of their classmates I had been introduced too, they would say hi. In conversation a few asked if I was coming to their recitals, so I said I would. And after their recitals, when I would compliment their performance, they were genuinely grateful for my being there and for whatever I said to them. I saw some great performances and got to dabble into musical theatre numbers. But nevertheless, I was there to see Catherine's recital.
She was beautiful, in every sense of the word. When she walked out on the stage she was wearing my favorite colored, she looked amazing, and had her gorgeous smile on as well. Her opening number was "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" from the Little Mermaid Broadway production. It was the cutest, most cheerful number with a fairy tale presence. I of course loved it. The rest of her songs were fun, lighthearted, and just great to see performed, save for one serious number that was subtly intense. She sounded amazing as well. She nailed every performance and was even moving in her vocals. Most of the other students had some great qualities that were inherently their own talent to show off, but Cat was the one who I thought just sang beautifully without having to prove her worth. The best thing ever was "Oh Henry Bar", an endless and challenging song I had never heard before, but will be wanting to share with anybody.
After her recital I got in line to congratulate her, then stepped aside to let her share the moment with her friends and family. When the night was over we went out for dinner and cookie dough eggrolls at one of my new favorite restaurants, Jackson's. Oh yeah, by this point the group was now myself, Cat, Liz, and their third musketeer, Addie. It was a fun night out, but we went back to the apartment to do the whole day over again.
The day after was mine though. If Thursday was Cat's day, and Sunday would be Liz's, Saturday was my day. Liz was busy meeting with her family who was coming into town, but Addie and Cat took me around their favorite parts of Nashville. First off, we had to stop at a sandwich shop/bakery/awesome dining place called Bread & Co. (I think) to get sandwich's and fruit tea. I just want everyone to know that cuz we need one of these in Orlando. Seriously, it was awesome and had everything. We took our food to the Centennial Park and had a psuedo-picnic. The park was awesome. It was a real park, not just a patch of grass and trees like I'm used to. The park had a jogging trail with markers, a little cozy flower bed area, a really cool looking pond, ducks, a train just sitting off to the side, lots of climbable trees (that one had hammocks in the treetops for me to dream about one day doing), and finally... The Parthanon. Being that Nashville is the "Athen's of the South", the people of old Nashville decided it deserved a completely to scale replica of the original Parthenon. It looked flawless, was painted, and inside was a museum dedicated to the Centennial City that once existed for the World's Fair and is a shame isn't still around, and of course, the original Parthenon. Inside it stood a replica of the original statue of Athena. When I stepped into the room and it came into view I was completely struck in awe. It was enormous. It was gold and white and beautiful. It had representations of other Greek figures within it's shield, and other iconic symbols throughout. It was magnificent. I had an ordeal with my camera that I'm not gonna get into, but it should be known I started panicking because I wasn't going to get my photos. Luckily, it fixed itself and I could snap away. (I killed my batteries getting all the photos.)
After that I was escorted to their favorite street with some shops they love. Between that mall and that particular line of street; Nashville is really high class. Did I mention celebs live there, as well as the music industry? (I saw Nicole Kidman coming out of the nail salon.) So everything is all designer and pricey, but I still loved it. The buildings and stores themselves were well established in their identity and were all wonderful original places to be. Not like Orlando or Sarasota. I loved just walking down the street and taking photos of the buildings, street musicians, and street art. I wanna live in a town where there are things painted on the side of the buildings.
When I got my fill I caught up with the girls at another coffee shop. I was at a new one each day, and it all was great stuff! (I didn't get coffee, yuck) And when it came time to leave, we headed back to the apartment, got snazzy again, and went out of town to meet Liz's extended family at a restaurant called O'Charley's. Another place I thought was great. Each night I was also out at a new restaurant with a great menu. So I met Liz's family, who were all so very nice. They asked me about Florida and Disney, which I was already well accustomed too from their classmates. So we chatted, and once again, I made a good impression on the family. I'm the best boyfriend ever. And I hadn't even cooked for them yet, that came Sunday night. But yeah, we had dinner, it was nice, and then we had to get back so Liz could be well rested for her recital.
So the next day, Liz's day, was all about Liz and getting herself ready. I still did stuff the day of Cat's recital, but since Liz's was earlier, it was all about getting ready for that. Liz was the first to perform that day. She too opened with a cute Disney number, and had these delightful upbeat songs and a serious one or two. Liz is a fantastic performer and really made her songs come to life, and the audience as well. She was delightful, and looked quite lovely. And she sang some personal favorites, which made my heart fill with joy. And with her I also had to do the wait-in-line thing, but when I got up to her to give her hugs and compliments it was well worth it, of course. She hung around us the rest of the day, still in her pink dress, and it was a good time. Unfortunately, Addie and I left after the recitals while Liz and Cat were forced into unnecessary rehearsals with the rest of the class.
So Liz and Cat rehearsed, Addie redecorated their apartment, and I walked all the way downtown. I had some daylight left and I wanted photographs of the Union Station, this archaic looking train station turned high class hotel. One other thing about Nashville I was liking were the occasional old school stone buildings. It gives such a distinguished feeling to the city. And it's that mentality that kept drawing me father and farther downtown, taking pictures of old buildings and churches. I also found a streetlight that had big box on it playing a barbershop rendition of "You Can Fly", how cool is that!! After at least an hour, maybe two, night had fallen and I needed to head back to the apartment. And I had to go through the projects to get there. But I handled everything just fine and made it home.
Once I got there, and saw Addie had redone the apartment, I started cooking. About two hours later we enjoyed cheesy chicken spaghetti, the one recipe I had I though they would eat, and they loved it. Then we had frozen yogurt with all kinds of goodies mixed in. It was delicious. Finally, to cap the night, we went and played around on the grassy knoll with a football. Apparently this was how hanging out with Cat and Liz was supposed to be, until the recitals got in the way. We had fun but eventually called it a night, and by that I mean we went back to the apartment and stayed up a few more hours. Finally we went to bed so Cat and Liz could attend class and take tests, and so Addie and I could leave.
When Monday morning finally came, it felt like Monday morning. Everybody took their time preparing for whatever they had too, but eventually things got moving and the time came for me to leave. The girls gave me a handful of snacks to take on the bus with me, which were very much appreciated. I said goodbye to Liz, and this girl Lauren who had my "gloves" and then to Cat. She dropped me off at the bus station, but unfortunately had to do it a few hours early because she couldn't afford to miss class. Still, she directed me enough to have me on my way. So I strolled downtown again, this time pulling my fifty pound luggage around behind me. I wandered up Printer's Alley (I think it's called) where all the cowboy boot and hat stores are along with all the other tourist shops. This was also where bars, restaurants, and venues were. And finally, street performers. I wandered past one or two but got my attention yanked by this one guy who was by himself strumming away and showing off his thick, thick country twang. He asked me if I wanted to hear an original or a cover, I told him whatever he was in the mood for, so he played "Some Beach". I noticed he was missing a guitar string, but he was so into it nobody cared. I stayed through the whole song, gave him all my change, and then stayed to listen to his original song. Then I kept on walking down to the end of the street, and then I noticed something... were my eyes deceiving me? How did I not catch this before!? The Hard Rock Cafe!! Of course there's one in Music City U.S.A.! I couldn't believe I didn't think of it earlier, but I had plenty of time, so I and my suitcase made it through the revolving door and into my favorite restaurant to visit when traveling. I had a hickory-smoked burger given to me by a very friendly staff and did the whole touristy thing. Bought the shirt for my collection, and now, a pin too. After some more pictures, I made my way out, back down Printer's Alley, and to the bus station. I took a moment to chill and then it was time to go.
The ride home wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one to Nashville, even if I had a seat to myself the whole time. So I'm not gonna talk about it. Point is, I finally got home, quite relieved. Josh pulled up to get me as I was informing the folks of my return to Orlando, and I've been catching up in the comfort of my apartment since. I probably should take a nap, but there's still stuff I gotta do. I was productive with my projects while I was away, and I'm keeping that ball rolling. Cuz I gotta get nice and successful so that I can pay for all the spending I did in Nashville.
For those of you who didn't know, which I'm almost certain is all of you, I went to Tennessee this past week. That's right, just up and went, cuz I felt like it. If you'll recall that post about the whole Tennessee roadtrip ordeal, well, I decided to take matters into my own hands and just up and went by myself. I did however have a more targeted time to travel. At the request of my Tennessee native friend Catherine, I headed up this past week to see her and Elizabeth's junior recitals for their musical theatre degree. And they were lovely.
But let's start at the beginning:
Josh dropped me off at a shady, dimly lit bus station near downtown Orlando. To quote Josh, "wow." It was full of shady, dimly lit people, crazy people, annoying people, and just downright dirty looking people. Occasionally there was someone who came off more like I did, some young person who just had to have a tighter budget to travel. But since I looked like I was a homeless transient who just happened to have a giant suitcase, I blended right in. Actually, no, I was completely new to the experience and I'm sure that showed. I weighed my suitcase and found out I had too much stuff and had to hand Josh a portion of my clothes. Then after I gave the driver my ticket I found out my bag was improperly tagged and had to get that done at the last minute. But in the end, no worries. I didn't hold anyone up, got on the bus, had a pair of seats to myself, and after an hour or so I went to sleep and had a pleasant trip north.
Our first pit stop was in Marietta, Georgia, at a Love's travel station, which I've always liked. So I hopped off to stretch my legs and call the girls in Tennessee to let them know everything was on schedule. When I got off, it must had been 1 in the morning and friggin' cold! I was bundled up a good deal, but I could barely stand it outside, it was frigid. So I climbed back on the bus and didn't think about getting back off until our transfer in Atlanta. When that came to, it was cold as hell! It was almost funny watching all the Floridians freak out over the temperature but force themselves to wait outside to claim their luggage and then dart back indoors.
After an hour I got on the bus bound for Tennessee, and this time it was packed. I shared by seat with this guy who seemed alright. But then he started talking regularly, and I think he was giving me tips regarding prostitutes and crack dealers, in both Orlando and Chattanooga. My side of the conversation became very smile-and-nod. Then I slept some more. When I woke up, he continued talking. And then there was the kid on the other side of me who would not stop talking. And I could only understand every fifth word out of his mouth, but he really wanted to keep the conversation going. It was also smile-and-nod with him too.
But finally... I reached my destination: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE!
Cat was circling the bus station, I was on the phone with her, stepping out of the station, and she pulled right up and picked me up. I jumped in the car and was greeted by the prettiest, most excited smile I've seen in a long while. I gave her a hug and exclaimed my excitement just to be there, and we headed down to Belmont University. We had to get back in time to make one of her classes. So I got out my "gloves" and prepared for the Tennessee weather as we strolled around the campus. the campus was gorgeous by the way. She was giving me a small tour the whole way there, and then she introduced me to her friends, who were so inviting. Then we headed over to tap class where I found Liz, and then I sat in the corner watching her class. This was pretty much the way of the day; I followed each of them to classes and met their friends until we could go back to their apartment. I got a short tour of their place, it was cute, and then it was time to have an outing. Now here's the thing, I was there to see their recitals, which they had to prepare for and attend, so that shaped the entire weekend. The first thing to do was meet most of the girls I had met with Cat.. at the salon. Liz and the girls were getting manicures and pedicures so they'd look all purty for their recitals. Cat didn't want that much, so she went in for one little thing for about five minutes. I waited on the side of the salon where I could breathe. As soon as she was done, we headed across the street to the mall and strolled around until we met her mom. Her mom was so sweet, and treated us to Starbucks. I thought her mom was wonderful, and she thought I was great too. It was nice. Then Cat and I continued to stroll in hopes I could find a scarf to go with my "gloves", and we did. And then I tracked down a copy of the Watchmen. Just cuz.
Back at the apartment we hung out a little, set up my room (the couch), and then went to bed so Cat would be well rested for her recital the next day.
The next two days were all about the recitals. I went to attend Cat and Liz's, but I also attended every other one as well. The girls had too, and I was with them. Also, when I found myself walking around Belmont by myself, I came across some of their classmates I had been introduced too, they would say hi. In conversation a few asked if I was coming to their recitals, so I said I would. And after their recitals, when I would compliment their performance, they were genuinely grateful for my being there and for whatever I said to them. I saw some great performances and got to dabble into musical theatre numbers. But nevertheless, I was there to see Catherine's recital.
She was beautiful, in every sense of the word. When she walked out on the stage she was wearing my favorite colored, she looked amazing, and had her gorgeous smile on as well. Her opening number was "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" from the Little Mermaid Broadway production. It was the cutest, most cheerful number with a fairy tale presence. I of course loved it. The rest of her songs were fun, lighthearted, and just great to see performed, save for one serious number that was subtly intense. She sounded amazing as well. She nailed every performance and was even moving in her vocals. Most of the other students had some great qualities that were inherently their own talent to show off, but Cat was the one who I thought just sang beautifully without having to prove her worth. The best thing ever was "Oh Henry Bar", an endless and challenging song I had never heard before, but will be wanting to share with anybody.
After her recital I got in line to congratulate her, then stepped aside to let her share the moment with her friends and family. When the night was over we went out for dinner and cookie dough eggrolls at one of my new favorite restaurants, Jackson's. Oh yeah, by this point the group was now myself, Cat, Liz, and their third musketeer, Addie. It was a fun night out, but we went back to the apartment to do the whole day over again.
The day after was mine though. If Thursday was Cat's day, and Sunday would be Liz's, Saturday was my day. Liz was busy meeting with her family who was coming into town, but Addie and Cat took me around their favorite parts of Nashville. First off, we had to stop at a sandwich shop/bakery/awesome dining place called Bread & Co. (I think) to get sandwich's and fruit tea. I just want everyone to know that cuz we need one of these in Orlando. Seriously, it was awesome and had everything. We took our food to the Centennial Park and had a psuedo-picnic. The park was awesome. It was a real park, not just a patch of grass and trees like I'm used to. The park had a jogging trail with markers, a little cozy flower bed area, a really cool looking pond, ducks, a train just sitting off to the side, lots of climbable trees (that one had hammocks in the treetops for me to dream about one day doing), and finally... The Parthanon. Being that Nashville is the "Athen's of the South", the people of old Nashville decided it deserved a completely to scale replica of the original Parthenon. It looked flawless, was painted, and inside was a museum dedicated to the Centennial City that once existed for the World's Fair and is a shame isn't still around, and of course, the original Parthenon. Inside it stood a replica of the original statue of Athena. When I stepped into the room and it came into view I was completely struck in awe. It was enormous. It was gold and white and beautiful. It had representations of other Greek figures within it's shield, and other iconic symbols throughout. It was magnificent. I had an ordeal with my camera that I'm not gonna get into, but it should be known I started panicking because I wasn't going to get my photos. Luckily, it fixed itself and I could snap away. (I killed my batteries getting all the photos.)
After that I was escorted to their favorite street with some shops they love. Between that mall and that particular line of street; Nashville is really high class. Did I mention celebs live there, as well as the music industry? (I saw Nicole Kidman coming out of the nail salon.) So everything is all designer and pricey, but I still loved it. The buildings and stores themselves were well established in their identity and were all wonderful original places to be. Not like Orlando or Sarasota. I loved just walking down the street and taking photos of the buildings, street musicians, and street art. I wanna live in a town where there are things painted on the side of the buildings.
When I got my fill I caught up with the girls at another coffee shop. I was at a new one each day, and it all was great stuff! (I didn't get coffee, yuck) And when it came time to leave, we headed back to the apartment, got snazzy again, and went out of town to meet Liz's extended family at a restaurant called O'Charley's. Another place I thought was great. Each night I was also out at a new restaurant with a great menu. So I met Liz's family, who were all so very nice. They asked me about Florida and Disney, which I was already well accustomed too from their classmates. So we chatted, and once again, I made a good impression on the family. I'm the best boyfriend ever. And I hadn't even cooked for them yet, that came Sunday night. But yeah, we had dinner, it was nice, and then we had to get back so Liz could be well rested for her recital.
So the next day, Liz's day, was all about Liz and getting herself ready. I still did stuff the day of Cat's recital, but since Liz's was earlier, it was all about getting ready for that. Liz was the first to perform that day. She too opened with a cute Disney number, and had these delightful upbeat songs and a serious one or two. Liz is a fantastic performer and really made her songs come to life, and the audience as well. She was delightful, and looked quite lovely. And she sang some personal favorites, which made my heart fill with joy. And with her I also had to do the wait-in-line thing, but when I got up to her to give her hugs and compliments it was well worth it, of course. She hung around us the rest of the day, still in her pink dress, and it was a good time. Unfortunately, Addie and I left after the recitals while Liz and Cat were forced into unnecessary rehearsals with the rest of the class.
So Liz and Cat rehearsed, Addie redecorated their apartment, and I walked all the way downtown. I had some daylight left and I wanted photographs of the Union Station, this archaic looking train station turned high class hotel. One other thing about Nashville I was liking were the occasional old school stone buildings. It gives such a distinguished feeling to the city. And it's that mentality that kept drawing me father and farther downtown, taking pictures of old buildings and churches. I also found a streetlight that had big box on it playing a barbershop rendition of "You Can Fly", how cool is that!! After at least an hour, maybe two, night had fallen and I needed to head back to the apartment. And I had to go through the projects to get there. But I handled everything just fine and made it home.
Once I got there, and saw Addie had redone the apartment, I started cooking. About two hours later we enjoyed cheesy chicken spaghetti, the one recipe I had I though they would eat, and they loved it. Then we had frozen yogurt with all kinds of goodies mixed in. It was delicious. Finally, to cap the night, we went and played around on the grassy knoll with a football. Apparently this was how hanging out with Cat and Liz was supposed to be, until the recitals got in the way. We had fun but eventually called it a night, and by that I mean we went back to the apartment and stayed up a few more hours. Finally we went to bed so Cat and Liz could attend class and take tests, and so Addie and I could leave.
When Monday morning finally came, it felt like Monday morning. Everybody took their time preparing for whatever they had too, but eventually things got moving and the time came for me to leave. The girls gave me a handful of snacks to take on the bus with me, which were very much appreciated. I said goodbye to Liz, and this girl Lauren who had my "gloves" and then to Cat. She dropped me off at the bus station, but unfortunately had to do it a few hours early because she couldn't afford to miss class. Still, she directed me enough to have me on my way. So I strolled downtown again, this time pulling my fifty pound luggage around behind me. I wandered up Printer's Alley (I think it's called) where all the cowboy boot and hat stores are along with all the other tourist shops. This was also where bars, restaurants, and venues were. And finally, street performers. I wandered past one or two but got my attention yanked by this one guy who was by himself strumming away and showing off his thick, thick country twang. He asked me if I wanted to hear an original or a cover, I told him whatever he was in the mood for, so he played "Some Beach". I noticed he was missing a guitar string, but he was so into it nobody cared. I stayed through the whole song, gave him all my change, and then stayed to listen to his original song. Then I kept on walking down to the end of the street, and then I noticed something... were my eyes deceiving me? How did I not catch this before!? The Hard Rock Cafe!! Of course there's one in Music City U.S.A.! I couldn't believe I didn't think of it earlier, but I had plenty of time, so I and my suitcase made it through the revolving door and into my favorite restaurant to visit when traveling. I had a hickory-smoked burger given to me by a very friendly staff and did the whole touristy thing. Bought the shirt for my collection, and now, a pin too. After some more pictures, I made my way out, back down Printer's Alley, and to the bus station. I took a moment to chill and then it was time to go.
The ride home wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one to Nashville, even if I had a seat to myself the whole time. So I'm not gonna talk about it. Point is, I finally got home, quite relieved. Josh pulled up to get me as I was informing the folks of my return to Orlando, and I've been catching up in the comfort of my apartment since. I probably should take a nap, but there's still stuff I gotta do. I was productive with my projects while I was away, and I'm keeping that ball rolling. Cuz I gotta get nice and successful so that I can pay for all the spending I did in Nashville.