A Year in Nashville

I haven’t blogged in ages! I find that I like reading blogs a lot more than writing one. But, since I’m about to leave Nashville, I thought I would update you on some of the things that I have been up to!

In Nashville, I…

...went to a BBQ festival and saw Dolly Parton in concert with my dear friends Mollie and Elise…(and I bought cowboy boots for the occasion! Plus we saw the Oscar Meyer wiener van. So fun!).

Please note the boots. No, they did not match my dress. 

...visited a pumpkin farm and took a hayride.

...survived having classes that went to 10 pm in the evening…and one that started the next day at 8:15.

...saw NEEDTOBREATHE in concert! Thanks for the awesome Christmas present, Dad and Mom!

Excuse the shiny face and crazy eyes--we had just finished one of our 5 hour classes!

...had a visit from my good friend Lydia—we went to the Nashville zoo and saw (and, in Lydia's case, was attacked) by some crazy birds.

...went to Birmingham, Alabama, with one of my classes.

This is the 16th Street Baptist Church--in 1963, it was bombed, and four young girls were killed.

...enjoyed having Hilary and Dan here for a visit--a walk down Broadway and a visit to the Nashville Public Library to take pictures announcing baby girl Sahli!

 ...ate handmade ice cream from three separate stores—yum. This ice cream was from Mike's on Broadway!

This is one of my favorite series of pictures....to be fair to Hil, she thought I was going to steal her ice cream. 

...had two visits from my parents (they just missed me so!).

We went to the Parthenon--an art museum housed in a building created for the Tennessee 1897 Centennial Exposition.

...became friends with an awesome group of girls in my program at Vanderbilt.

Missing two of us, but these girls were my lifelines this year!

Other than that, I wrote umpteen pages, read thousands more, observed in schools for hours upon hours, tried approximately 40 new recipes from Pinterest (and pinned a lot more), and put quite a few miles on my little blue car. I was spoiled with weekly phone calls from a number of friends and family, fell in love with my nephew even more, and found out that I am going to be an aunt again! Even though I am not staying in Nashville, it will always hold many wonderful memories for me. Thank you to everyone who made my time here so great! I will never forget this experience.