Nashville weekend!!

A weekend get away in Nashville did not disappoint. However, before leaving was a little rocky. I was experiencing a lot of anxiety going alone. I had all intentions of going by myself, but the idea of having a travel buddy lingered in my head. I would vaguely ask people to join me on the trip, but because of the last minute planning I would eventually get a "no, but next trip" response. I didn't realize that rejection was causing more stress and pain. I've realized in this season of life, that I need to be confident in doing things that bring me joy. Not letting the fear of being uncomfortable or the feeling of loneliness win.

An 8 hour road trip can really turn any mood around. Turned up the country music and took off bright & early. Upon arriving, I decided to eat at the local favorite Hattie B's. Home of the hot chicken... however, this girl can't deal with spice. I went with a southern style chicken and mac n cheese. Then headed to the hotel to get ready for my first night on the town. The Bengal's had just beaten the Titan's as I strut downtown. I hit all the celebrity bars like Maranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Kid Rock and Alan Jackson. Along with some other fun hole in the wall bars down Printer's Alley.

The next morning, I popped up for a quick workout and then I was off to explore the city. I found a bird near the hotel and grabbed a day pass. My first stop was brunch at the Buttermilk Ranch. I ordered a sausage, egg breakfast cube with apple-butter. The place was so beautiful and covered with plants. Then I went to the Frothy Monkey for some delicious coffee and checked out a few murals around the 12 South area. Then birded over to the Gulch for some shopping and a picture in front of the famous butterfly wing mural. I made my way over to Centennial Park for a chilly walk and more photos. Then it was time for my reservation at Culture Co. It's a charcuterie bar in the middle of the L&L Market. What made it so special is the charcuterie plates come around on a conveyor belt. It was a bit pricy per plate, the experience was so amazing. I did pair this was a glass of red wine. Probably the highlight of my trip.

After the afternoon snack, I definitely needed a NAP. So back to the hotel before the Chief's game to rest up for the night. Changing into my fan gear, I headed to a sports bar near my hotel. Found a booth and anchored down. Got an appetizer and a margarita for kickoff. As everyone knows now, this was the CRAZY playoff game in NFL history. It was kind of funny because there was like 2 Chiefs' fans and the rest "didn't want the Chiefs' to win" fans (not really Bills fans). So naturally afterwards I was ready to celebrate. I went to Jason Aldean's bar for the last night. Downstairs was live country music, but upstairs was 90's pop club environment. I was very happy about this find!! The night kind of wrapped up, so I walked back to the hotel before midnight.

Next morning, woke up early for a workout, grabbed a coffee from Frothy Monkey again and hit the road early. The 8 hours really flew on the way home. I knew I wanted to have a few hours in the evening to relax before going to work the next morning. The whole weekend was definitely one to remember. I'm proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. I would've missed out on an amazing experience. One trip down, eleven more to go. I can't wait for where February will take me. Thank you, Nashville!