Sadly, my friends and I are embarking on our last semester of college. So, at the beginning of January we all decided to “go all in” during our last five months together (shoutout to Emmanuel College’s new motto!) and live spontaneously. In the spirit of our soon-to-be alma mater’s new slogan, we booked a weekend getaway to Music City– Nashville, Tennessee.
The moment I stepped off the plane I heard a performer singing the classic “country road take me home,” and was super excited for the shenanigans that would occur over the weekend! Although I don’t love country music, I definitely appreciated that there was live music everywhere I turned and loved immersing myself in the city’s fun, laid back atmosphere.
On our first day, we walked around the infamous Broadway Street and soaked in all of the tourist attractions. We had the best time window shopping, looking at authentic cowboy boots, and enjoying the live music that you could hear at every street corner. My favorite part of our first day, which occurred later at night, was when my friends and I tried to keep up with Nashville’s two step at one of the city’s country line dancing bars. Although I have two left feet, everyone was so helpful and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
Maybe I’m used to the typical Bostonian’s dismal attitude when the bitter cold winter rolls around, but everyone we met on our trip was genuinely kind. I soon learned that what makes Nashville, Nashville is the great people that inhabit the city. From our Lyft drivers to the various friends we made during our vacation, everyone we talked to epitomized southern hospitality.
A classic tourist stop when visiting Nashville is visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame. From the platinum records that adorned the walls, to Elvis’ gold piano, it was so much fun to immerse myself in the city’s country culture. Side note: I was definitely in awe when I saw Elvis’ gold piano– I immediately thought of him tickling the ivories while playing his famous “Burning Love”.
Country Music Hall of Fame’s wall of records
Elvis’ gold piano
If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you can sense that I’m a complete foodie. And, let me tell you, Nashville didn’t disappoint! One of my favorite aspects of our trip was sampling the local cuisine, and my taste buds craved more after trying the city’s popular “hot chicken”– which, trust me, they weren’t kidding when they labeled it hot. All of the delicious food made waddling around Thanksgiving-Day-stuffed the entire weekend totally worth it.
100 layer donuts from Five Daughters
Hot Chicken from Hattie B’s
While exploring the city, we stumbled upon a pedestrian bridge that has the most stunning view of Nashville’s skyline. Being the Bachelor franchise aficionado that I am, I was geeking out over how almost everyone from Nashville had their promo video filmed on this bridge. With the light breeze blowing in my face, I strutted across the bridge like this season’s Danielle M. and dramatically looked out at the city skyline at numerous points. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of our trip because the sun was shining on my face, and I felt like I was filming my own promo video on my journey to find love.
I had the best weekend in Nashville hanging out with some of my best friends, and visiting one of my hometown BFFs who now lives in Music City! Although the future seems ominous and scary for me, I highly recommend taking a weekend getaway to Nashville to forget about the horror of post-grad life, and go all in.
Stay legendary, Nashville.