Day #45: Miiimiiiiiii and Drunk 1 & Drunk 2 (MS to LA)

New Orleans. The last leg of my trip. It's crazy to think that I've been doing this for a month and a half, and I'm a big jumbled mess of emotions at this point. It's that annoying pull between not wanting this trip to end and wanting to be home with my family. I guess that's good though. Well, ready or not, I'm in New Orleans.

On Friday Abby and I woke up early so we could make the trip down to NOLA. One of the awesome things about staying in Mississippi for a few more days is that Abby volunteered to drive me, and even luckier, she decided to stay and hang out with me for a day!

So we packed up the car and set off! But we were both really tired and the weather was cold and gloomy in Mississippi, so we struggled to keep it together. We did listen to some of the essays from a David Sedaris audio book which was entertaining. And kept us awake! But once we crossed the border into Louisiana the sun came out, we turned on some of our jams, and took in the beautiful scenery.

After a little speeding incident we were finally in New Orleans! First we went to my hostel so I could check in, but after that we drove to our hotel in the French Quarter! Abby's parents generously offered to pay for us to stay one night in a hotel together and we enthusiastically accepted, of course. So while I checked into my hostel I explained that I wouldn't actually be sleeping there until Saturday. That was easier than trying to change my reservation for a second time! So we get to the hotel, Hotel Monteleone, and it's super swanky. Abby had stayed there before with her parents, and she's been to New Orleans a bunch, so it was so nice to have her with me. And we just brought our antics to a new city!

So we check in, get to our room, and immediately head up to the rooftop pool. Whaaaaat?!?! The weather was incredible and the roof is beautiful, and we take in the awesome views for a bit. Then we head back to the room and hang out for a while, acting like total freaks as we listen to music and sing at the top of our lungs.

After spending what felt like hours recreating Rent: The Musical as a two woman show, we wandered out into the real world and took in the sights. We walked along the river and stopped in a bunch of souvenir shops, being dorks as usual. Then, as it started to get dark, we headed over to Bourbon Street and I started to get Abby drunk with my ID. That's what friends are for? So as she sipped on daiquiris we wandered the streets, taking in all the amazing opportunities for people watching and stopping to pet every police horse we encountered.

Eventually we headed back to the hotel and got dressed in our cute clothes. The plan? Dinner then jazz! We walked to Dreamy Weenies, a cute establishment that serves, you guessed it, hot dogs! We obviously loved the restaurant's name. But I'm eight years old on the inside. What drew me to Weenie's were their TWO vegan hot dog options. They sure know how to make a vegan feel spoiled! I opted for a tofu-based dog with ketchup, vegan chili, and avocado drizzled on top. YUM. SO GOOD. The dogs were huge by the way. We were kind of intimidated.

After scarfing down our dinners we walked back towards Bourbon Street, where we slipped into a bar to listen to some jazz. We sat up at the bar for two hours and I wasn't bored for one second. For me, being the only sober person in a bar, that's an amazing thing. I guess the same can be applied to NOLA in general. Even though I have no alcohol in my system and everyone around me does, I've still been having such a great time.

So the band was amazing and the bartender was a huge flirt/slightly jerky so that was fun. By the time we left, Abby had the drummer's phone number, the result of a hilarious stunt, and I was sufficiently embarrassed but loving it.

We wandered down Bourbon Street with the drunk masses, laughing, stepping in horse shit, and avoiding creepers. I got Abby another daiquiri and then we headed back to the hotel, where we promptly put on our pajamas and curled up in bed. For the next couple of hours we watched "House Hunters: International" on HGTV. Obviously. Then Abby got hungry and ventured out to find food as I texted her very important information about the episode I was watching. She came back with Krystal (YUCK) but I was just happy she was alive.

I was an amazing first day in New Orleans. I'm so glad that Abby came down here with me.

Day #44: How To Celebrate The Genocide Of Native Americans And Turkeys(MS)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Instead of a play by play of how I spent my holiday* I decided to compile a list of some of the things that I'm thankful for this year.

Thankful List 2012:

Family

Friendships of all shapes and sizes

The support of said family and friends

Vegan food

Lena Dunham

The will they won't they of Danny and Mindy on The Mindy Project

My education

The adorableness of Ryan and Amber on Parenthood

Amazing live music

That it's almost December 1st and I can bust out the Christmas music and movies

Minnetonka moccasins

Melodramatic television shows

Scarves

Robin Hood Camp

Movie theaters

The Sound of Music

iTunes

Autumn leaves

Summer stars

Audrey Hepburn

Swimming in the ocean

Leopard print

Aaron Sorkin

My health and happiness

The health and happiness of the people closest to me

I hope you all had a day full of food, family, laughter, hugs, and just the tiniest bit of drama to keep things interesting.

P.S. Just because Thanksgiving is over that doesn't mean that it's automatically the "holiday season." So put away those lawn ornaments, don't even think about getting a Christmas tree, press pause on the Christmas pop, and hold off on the peppermint flavored beverages. Give Thanksgiving some time to breathe, let the leftovers leave your fridge, and keep the fall wreaths on your doors until December 1st. You can do it. I promise.




* If you must know: woke up at 9AM to watch the parade, immediately decided I would rather sleep, woke up at noon for the dog show, watched said dog show and repeat showing of the parade all afternoon with Abby, practiced driving stick around the neighborhood, cooked (vegan mac and cheese, crispy tofu, oven roasted asparagus), ate dinner with Abby and her parents, talked to my sister, my brother, and my mom, watched The King's Speech with Abby and her parents, packed. Low key and full of food, dog time, and good conversation. Just the way I like it.

Day #43: Only Hate The Road When You're Missing Home (MS)

Today we were treated to some really amazing weather. We woke up early (before noon) in the hopes of being productive but I just ended up lounging by the pool and watching Abby's dog, Connor, frolic in the sun.

We eventually needed to head out to the store to buy some things for Thanksgiving, so we took advantage of the 72 degree weather and put the top down on Abby's VW. As we drove to the supermarket I had a thought: here I was, the day before Thanksgiving, wearing flip flops, riding around in a convertible, blasting music, in Mississippi, with a friend from boarding school. Sometimes you really just can't predict where your life is going to lead you. Needless to say, it was perfect.

On our way to the store we took a detour to the Barnett Reservoir, which was absolutely beautiful. We blasted the Passenger album and took in the amazing weather and views.

Once we got home we unloaded the groceries and hopped back in the car. This time we traded seats because...Abby decided to teach me how to drive stick! Off we went around the neighborhood, stalling and cringing as I tried to remember when to let off the clutch and avoid public embarrassment in front of a gaggle of landscapers. In the words of Abby: "You haven't properly learned how to drive until you stall and a group of black people heckles you."

After hanging out some more in the backyard we ventured out to run a couple of errands, but what was really memorable about this outing was our epic dance party at the McDonald's drive-thru. Epic.

I've spent the rest of the night catching up on TV shows and coming up with a list of what I'm thankful for this holiday. Up bright and early for the parade tomorrow! Even though it apparently is not broadcast live in central time zone?! Mississippi Thanksgiving 2012. Come at me.

Day #42: Rivers and Roads (MS)

I woke up in Jackson this morning (afternoon) and was instantly glad that I wasn't moving onto New Orleans just yet. Part of this trip for me is about following what feels right and learning to trust my own instincts, even when they don't line up with other people's expectations of me. Now, the decision to lengthen my time in Mississippi and shorten my time in Louisiana may not seem like a big deal, and I guess it's not. But at the same time, strangely, it is.

We spent the afternoon lounging around, both inside and outside, as we talked about almost everything and watched our respective television shows. For me it was finishing up last year's season of How I Met Your Mother. Then we showered up and headed out for dinner, choosing this Mediterranean place where we ended up with the weirdest waiter both of us have ever encountered. The food was food though, and since I had falafel and hummus I can't complain.

After dinner we stopped by the bar and hung out with some of Abby's friends for a little bit. Then we ended up coming back home and collapsing on the couch in our sweatpants. We were trying to figure out what movie to watch and Abby took the reigns and selected "Savages," Oliver Stone's latest. And let me tell you. It. Is. Baaaaaaad. We were laughing all the way through and we didn't really know what to make of it. Don't see it. The only bright spot was a very trimmed, toned Tim Riggins. But for him we had to put up with a weird plot, bad dialogue, and John Travolta. So be warned.

After the practically two and a half hour disaster that was "Savages," Abby felt bad and popped "Sweet Home Alabama" into then DVD player. She knows what'll make me happy. We gushed and quoted and sighed our way through the movie, obviously.

Then we went out to the backyard and took in the beautiful night. The stars were out and we sat by the pool and talked about life, the big things and the small things and everything in between. Abby and I were never super close in high school but ever since I got here we've tackled just about every subject. We're both in such transitory states right now and our lives have taken a lot of different turns since graduating from VA. Like I've said, we're such different people. Our personalities are polar opposites, but we share so much. We like all of the same things and have been through some of the same shit. It's nice to have a friend who sees the world in some of the same ways as I do.

One week from today I'll be back in Massachusetts. I haven't really given myself a chance to process this. In some ways it feels like I've been gone forever, but on the other hand I'm not sure if I'm ready to go home just yet. Everything is still up in the air, and as soon as I get home I'll have to sort through it all. But I think I'm in a much better headspace to be able to attempt to untangle it all.

Tonight, as we let ourselves become entranced by the night sky, Abby asked me if I was happy. Without thinking, without pausing, and without giving myself time to come up with a facet of my life that is troubling me, I said yes. And I am. This year/this trip/this week I have a lot to be thankful for. Happiness is number one on my list.

Day #40 & Day #41: We Can Shape But Can't Control (MS)

Highlights of Sunday:

We spent the earlier part of Sunday hanging out, then we decided to go shopping, which for two cash-strapped young ladies means that we ogled everything we saw. We went to J Crew, Banana, Anthro, Lucky, and a slew of other stores. Obviously we lusted after everything we saw in Anthropologie and cried to ourselves when we left empty handed.

After shopping we went home and got ready to go out. One of Abby's friends was working at this live music venue and put us on the list so we could get in for free. It was a tiny little one room venue with a small bar in the back and we didn't really know what to expect, but it ended up being a really fun show. A singer-songwriter girl with a pretty voice was the first opener, and she immediately won my heart when she announced that her next song was about Henry David Thoreau, and she referenced Walden Pond. So funny and random. The next opener was this really cool violinist who did some crazy things even though there were some technical difficulties. Then the main band, Seryn, came on. I had never heard of them before but after a quick Google search I saw that Paste Magazine voted them the best of 2011's SXSW festival. The two opening acts turned out to be members of Seryn, and the band played so many different instruments. Violin, drums, banjo, guitar, harmonica, the list goes on. The entire band sang together and were so full of life and interacted a lot with the audience. It was so fun and I fell in love with the music. Not bad for a random night in Jackson, Mississippi.

Once we got home we curled up on the couch and watched The Cabin in the Woods. It was a fun, low-key day and I'm probably forgetting a bunch of things. But that's what happens when you get behind on blog posts!

Highlights of Monday:

On Monday we hung out outside for a bit and then went to get our nails done. I took the plunge and got acrylic nails put on, which is hilarious in and of itself. But it was really nice having someone do my nails and I got a nice Thanksgivingy color. They actually look really realistic and aren't too weird to have on my nails.

Then we went home and got dolled up for the bar, where we hung out for the rest of the night. Then when we came home we put on my favorite episode of Girls and quoted practically every scene. So fun!

Day #39: Life's a Zoo, Life's a Trip (MS)

The post for Saturday will be up soon I promise!

Day #38: Denzel, Sorkin, and Everyone in Between (MS)

So that sleep I needed? I think I got it last night. I slept until noon (which was obviously amazing) and it was a really deep sleep. So I was happy when I woke up in a big bed in the guest room at Abby's parents' place in Jackson. After showering and attempting to return to the land of the living we went outside and talked for a long time. For someone whose personality is completely the opposite of mine we actually share so many similarities. It's crazy. So we can talk for a long time about a mess of different things and totally keep up with each other.

Then we headed out to the movies to see Flight, the one with Denzel Washington as a pilot. It was actually really good and by the end of the movie Abby and I were crying hahaha. But it had a really great cast and interesting ending so I recommend it.

After the movies we grabbed a bite to eat and talked some more, then returned home where we mingled with her parents for a little bit before heading out again. For the rest of the night we just hung out with some of Abby's friends and we went back to the bar we were at the night before. Abby and I ended up having a two hour conversation about television and movies (obviously, because we're addicts). And it wasn't a normal conversation, it was a Gilmore Girls worthy rant where we jumped from one movie to another, one actor to another, and one quote from another. It was impressive. And just about every movie we mentioned, whether it was an obscure Netflix find or a popular rom-com, more often than not the other person had seen it too. And we both got really excited. We kind of share the same brain sometimes.

Once we finally got home later we grabbed some snacks and her two crazy (and adorable) dogs and settled in to re-watch the pilot episode of The Newsroom. AKA one of our favorite shows. It really is amazing. So I'm judging you right now if you've never seen it.

Until tomorrow!

Day #37: 2 Buses and 1 Long Day (TN to MS)

I woke up this morning and felt a bit more energized compared to yesterday. I was still exhausted but knew I had to get my butt moving if I wanted to make it to Mississippi and see Abby.

So I finished packing, got ready, and went downstairs to print out my bus ticket (because I had the awful realization last night that I was not riding on MegaBus anymore and therefore would need a paper ticket and couldn't just show them the confirmation email on my phone). Wahhhhhhh. So I printed it out, stripped my bed, called a taxi company, and checked out of the hostel.

After a short cab ride I got to partake in one of my favorite travel pastimes: people watching. And let me tell you: the people watching around here is fantastic! So I sit and take it all in. Then I watched last night's episode of Nashville, because, well, hello?! By the time it was over it was time to board the bus.

This whole journey to Jackson, Mississippi was made up of two buses: the first from Nashville to Birmingham and the second from Birmingham to Jackson. The first bus was one of the crappy old Greyhounds without Internet or electrical outlets. A couple things it did have: a foul smell and an unidentified, crusty stain on the seat next to mine. Probs vomit. But once I realized that it was there it was too late for me to find another seat/I didn't want to get up. So whatevs. That just meant that I stuck to my seat and avoided the stain altogether. One plus side to having a vomit stain as my seatmate? It made for a good excuse to turn people away when they asked to sit next to me. Score!! I was also lucky enough to get a really outspoken group of fellow bus riders. When the driver stepped on board, a gaggle of Greyhound's finest proclaimed that the bus smelled like shit. Mmmmkay, you see, I'm not a fan of funky smells either, but you don't hear me complaining to the powerless bus driver.

Unfortunately, the bus made a couple of stops, and since we were already running 30 minutes behind schedule, I started to freak out about making my connecting bus in Birmingham. This was when things got laughable. Now, keep in mind, I couldn't make this shit up.

At one of the stops a fresh batch of passengers got on. OK, not weird yet. THEN right as we're about to leave, a man comes running up. At this point I'm sitting at the very front of the bus with a perfect view of the crew handling the checked baggage that's stored under the bus. Well, this guy who just showed up had something he wanted to store under the bus. But it wasn't just a suitcase or a guitar or something, because that would be too easy. Instead, he had a HUGE, abnormally shaped box, which I later determined to have a deconstructed bicycle in it. I'M SORRY. WHAT?! Now the crew is saying that there's no room under the bus, and the guy is freaking out, and one of the crew members suggests waiting to check it on the next bus at 6:30. Instead of considering that, the driver (who throughout the trip proved to be super lame and not that bright) then tells the guy to find space for it INSIDE THE BUS. Now, excuse me, I'm no expert at spatial relations, but even I knew that this would not be as simple as Ms. Greyhound thought it will be. You see, they design these buses so that small luggage and handbags can be kept inside the bus and large luggage (like Giant Purple People Eater) can live under the bus. If something doesn't fit where large luggage is supposed to go, then it will probably fit where small luggage is meant to be, right? UMMM HELLO. Thats what I wanted to scream at them because I was in a sassy mood and worried about missing my connecting bus and exhausted and WATCHING NOAH TRY TO LOAD HIS ENTIRE ARK IN THE SEAT IN FRONT OF MINE.

So once the guy finally gets his box o' bicycle on board, he sees that it really won't be that easy to find a spot for it. So he tries to put it in one of the first seats, but it's obviously too big. So then he looks at the first row of seats in front of me, where a man is sitting. He then asks this man if he could move because he thinks the box will fit. Now I am watching this all unfold, and because I am a very observant person, I know what's going to happen next. You see, the man that's being ousted from his comfortable first row seat? HE'S BLIND. THIS DOUCHEY BICYCLIST IS TELLING A BLIND MAN HE HAS TO MOVE SO HE CAN FIT A STUPID BOX THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN ACCEPTED BY GREYHOUND IN THE FIRST PLACE. OK. Phew. I'm sorry. I think I'm done. To end the story, the blind man moved, the box managed to fit in the most precarious way possible, and then the bicyclist essentially says "Oh, don't worry, I don't really care if it gets banged up." Oh, so you don't really care about your precious bicycle that you just moved heaven and earth and displaced a very nice blind gentleman for to place on this Greyhound?! OK then!

At this point I was pretty much just laughing to myself. And wondering what the hell I'm doing on a bus of freaks in TN/AL/MS. We finally got to Birmingham and luckily I had 20 minutes until my next bus. Phew. But then it's time to line up again, the Greyhound guy checks my ticket and ID, and tells me that all bags have to either be checked under the bus or stored above the seats in overhead storage. I'm sorry? I've taken countless numbers of bus rides over the years, including many Greyhound journeys my freshman year in college, and NEVER have I been told that I'm not allowed to have my bags in my lap or under the seat in front of me. This little turd actually enforced this rule too, and inspected all the seats before we left. Is there some national security threat that me having my bags by my feet would pose? Is AL/MS a hotbed of sketchy activity? I'll never know. So I stuff as any snacks as I can in the pouch in front of me and grumpily hurl my bags up top. Honestly it was a stupid bus ride with obnoxious people. The woman next to me, while nice, was completely unaware of the concept of personal space. So she decided to be all up in my business for 5 hours. Things were jabbed into my side, things were put on my lap, and things were being shoved against my arm and my head. I don't know how all of this was possible. But it was.

So once we finally got to Jackson, I popped a couple of Tylenol for my raging headache (couldn't during the ride because both of my bags were up in overhead storage) and found Abby.

For the rest of the night we just hung out, I met some of her friends, and we went out to a bar. It's crazy that I'm in Jackson, Mississippi right now! Now I'm exhausted after a ridiculously long day and all I want to do is sleep. So goodnight!

Day #36: Water, TV Talk, and Stupid Starbucks (TN)

Today was one of those "stuck" days. Honestly, I was due for one of these, but that doesn't make it any less sucky.

I woke up and felt like shit which is probably what started it all. Headache, congestion, aches, exhaustion. Not fun when you're supposed to be doing touristy things and taking a bunch of cute, artsy pictures to post on Facebook to make y'all jealous. I just wasn't in the mood to be out in the world today. Not to mention the fact that it is REALLY cold here. Now, I know it isn't as cold as it is in New England right now, but man! A strange city isn't that enticing when it's 40 degrees out.

So I curled up in bed and watched last night's Parenthood, showered, and tried to motivate myself to go outside. Once I finally did, I realized that a hazelnut soy latte from Starbucks would make me feel a hell of a lot better. So off I went in search of the 'buck. The closest one to my hostel? Didn't exist. The second closest? Closed. The third closest? It existed and it was open! Hooray!!! I scampered in there, away from the cold, and realized that it was in the lobby of a hotel and therefore had really comfy plush chairs. Double hooray! Not so fast. I order my drink, already tasting the delicious, foamy comfort I knew the latte would bring me, and the cashier informs me that they are out of soy milk. EXCUSE ME. That's what I wanted to say to her. Instead of crying (which was a real possibility at that point) I ordered a plain ol' black coffee. I think the woman felt bad for me though and she didn't charge me. Whatever. I was still pissed.

So I sulked in a big comfy chair and ate the sandwich I had packed. IF YOU MUST KNOW IT WAS VEGAN NUTELLA IN BETWEEN TWO SLICES OF BREAD. No shame. While I sipped my coffee I texted Allie, who I had just left, and Abby, who I'll see tomorrow. Allie and I just whined to each other about being sick and she texted me pictures of the cats to lure me back to Atlanta. Seriously, after today I'm considering it. Abby and I texted excitedly about me visiting her this weekend and about television, obviously. We're both addicts. It's fine. So we just gushed about two of my current faves: Girls and The Newsroom. Seriously, if you guys haven't watched both of these shows' stellar first seasons WATCH THEM ILLEGALLY RIGHT NOW. Just kidding. That wouldn't be a good idea at all...

After the disappointment that was Starbucks I walked around for a while. Then I made my way back to the hostel and banked some important time on the computer as I tried to figure out some travel plans and stuff. Then I sat down and analyzed my budget which was grim as to be expected at this point.

Then I found myself on one of the couches in the lounge... And I didn't get up for the rest of the night. OK, I guess I've gotten up a few times. But it was like once I sat down and got comfy my body wouldn't let me get up. I'm hoping that this is just a tiny, basic cold that won't get any worse. We'll see.

Eww. People keep walking through the lounge, asking me if I'm going out tonight. I think they pity me like the cashier at Starbucks pitied me. These people all seem nice, and normally I would appreciate the fact that they are reaching out and trying to be friendly. But today I just can't. I just want to be left alone for one day so I can regroup, recharge, and figure out the rest of this trip. I know that their probably looking at me, stretched out on the couch in my leopard slipper socks and going back and forth between chugging water and downing candy, judging me. But whatevs. This is my vacation and I'm doing what I want to do.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Jackson, Mississippi to see Abby. It's a day of bus rides, including a very special stop in Alabama. Yayyyyy! Can't wait to see Abby though. So keep me in your thoughts tonight as I endure awkward social encounters and survive on a dinner of Nerds, almonds, trail mix, and Air Heads because I'm too tired to get dinner. Night!

EDIT: someone got a little too hungry and made the executive decision to head back to Pita Pit for dinner again... Too bad this forced me to dodge the entire homeless community in Nashville and be recognized by the Pita Pit employee because of my weird vegan requests. Whelp. At least I'm no longer hungry.

Day #35: Music City and Freezing My Ass Off (TN)

The post for Tuesday will be up soon I promise!

Day #34: Viva Nashvegas and Bittersweet Goodbyes (TN)

*This blog post was actually written on Monday night, and I intended to wait to post it until I had all the other days written about first. But figured I'd post the completed ones now when they're still current and catch up on the others! So be on the lookout for the "lost" days - hopefully I'll be all caught up in the next few days!*

"So it's Monday night and I'm in Nashville, Tennessee! I'm super excited to be here because it's the first state in this trip that I've never been to before. It's all so new and exciting and I'm just really glad to be staying in the south for the rest of this journey. So far I've loved the vibes that I've been getting in Georgia and Tennessee. It's something about the people and their kindness that is totally different than anything I've experienced up north.

So I'm clearly looking forward to being in Nashville by myself for two more days. I get to explore, do my own thing, make my own schedule, and get outside of my comfort zone. That's all great. But I'm already missing Atlanta! I had such an amazing week with Allie, Jess, Stella, Max, Stormy, and Squid, and I really didn't want to leave. They made me feel right at home with them and I am so very grateful for their love and their support. I'm so lucky to call them both family.

As it turns out we got to have a really fun 24 hours in Nashville together, though! We woke up this morning and got dolled up to see the town, braving the chilly temps and rainy weather. After a quick s dot photo shoot on our balcony we headed out to Fido, a really cute cafe near Vanderbilt. As we were waiting in line to place our order we heard the guy behind us tell his friend that Fido was a known celebrity haunt. He name dropped Taylor Swift and my ears perked up. Needless to say we kept our eyes peeled for the remainder of our meal.

After lunch we headed over to one of the Festivity stores that sells Allie's jewelry. It actually ended up being right next door and we hurried in and took a bunch of pictures for s dot's blog. It was exciting to hear some of the employees talk about the s dot pieces that were selling really well in Nashville, and I'm sure they appreciated being able to meet Allie and put a face to the name. My cousin's a superstar. NBD.

Next up we headed into a couple of really cute shops and fell in love with all the trinkets and jewelry we found. Then we ended up at Sonic for slushes, and everyone was so excited that I was a Sonic virgin. You drive up to these little stalls and order through the speaker and pay with your credit card RIGHT THERE. I was baffled. And then my card didn't work. So I straddled Jess for a solid two minutes as I hung out the driver's side window and cursed at the Sonic card swiper. Unbeknownst to me, Allie and Sarah were chuckling from the backseat as they documented this compromising situation. Thank god. We finally got our slushes and proceeded to get horrendous brain freezes so all in all I had a lot of mixed emotions about my first Sonic experience.

Next up was another store that sells s dot jewelry, but this time we decided to make it a quick stop and be super stealth about it. Then we ended up discovering an ADORABLE little shop that was so eclectic and fun. It's called Curious Heart Emporium. Totally go there if you ever end up in Nashville. The woman who worked there was super nice and I didn't even bitch about all the cute Christmas ornaments and decorations.

Our last s dot stop in Nashville was another Festivity location, where the employees were super excited to meet Allie and compliment her on her jewels. Proud cousin moment fo' sho. As we pondered what kind of food to grab for dinner before they all left me in Nashville alone, Jess blurted out Mellow Mushroom and we, being the addicts we are, happily agreed.

Despite the fact that they were out of hummus, sub rolls, and avocados (UMMMMM EXCUSE ME?!?!) we happily munched on our pizzas and watched some gripping Nashville news channel where a gyno was accused of being inappropriate with patients. Eeww. Perfect dinnertime entertainment, eh?

Then we had to start saying our goodbyes. First we dropped Sarah back off at the hotel where her car was still parked. It sucked to say goodbye to her because it was such a short trip, but hopefully we won't let so much time pass between visits anymore. She had to start heading back to Louisville, so we gave her big hugs and kisses. I wish we lived closer to each other, and I wish we didn't have such different schedules, because it was really great to spend time with her again. We only wish that the other Strite cousins (Carrie, Con, and Joe) could have joined us too!

After dropping Sarah off, Allie and Jess drove me to my hostel along the water. On the way we passed the real Nashvegas!!! Embarrassingly we hadn't been over this way and lo and behold it is where all the honky tonk bars, bright lights, and nightlife are located! Holllllaaaa! You know I love a good nightlife! Naaawwwwttt. But I'm excited to go exploring tomorrow.

I'm safe and sound in my hostel now and so far I've lucked out with only one roommate. The hostel itself is really nice, and the guy who checked me in was really friendly and we immediately started talking about music. It's cute and clean and the people are friendly so that's all I can ask for!

But I already miss my bed in Atlanta, the cats, staying up all night with Allie and Jess, and helping Allie with her jewelry. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to hanging out in Tennessee for a couple more days, as well as Mississippi and Louisiana in the next couple of weeks. I'll just be going through all the crazy pictures Allie and I took and plotting my return. Watch out Atlanta. I'll be back real soon :)

Goodnight, world!"