Shauna K 11/17/23 Shauna K 11/17/23

I went to Belgium..?

What an exciting thing to get to talk about! But why Belgium? Well, I wanted to go on a trip with my Mom who is an avid world traveler. While I love to go to places that she’s been, there’s just something very special about going to a new country with someone, and experience it for the first time together. After all, this is my first international trip (if you don’t count Canada) since the pandemic, and I really wanted it to be special. So where hasn’t she gone that I wanted to go?

In October of 2019, I was at the Met with a good friend and I was a little buzzed. As we were looking at the art, we found a piece that was from Belgium, and next to it was a map. He enthusiastically explained that there is a medieval town in Belgium that people don’t talk about nearly as much as they should. My phone was dying, and to remember, I took a photo of the map itself, and sent the photo to my Mom. I knew I had to go to Brugge.

Fast forward 4 years?! And I was listing places off left and right and there was my ace— Belgium. We had decided that we would spend some time in Brussels, the capital city, and then make our way to Brugge. We had booked an Airbnb a little out of the way and the train to Brugge was relatively quick and easy. We toyed with the idea of going to one more place in our 4 full days and ultimately decided on Amsterdam for reasons I’ll get into later but yes, I am a huge nerd.

Day 1.

So after a very long flight, customs and an Uber we made it to Brussels! The hardest part was the fact that we took off around 9pm my time and landed in the morning in Brussels. I took a 2 hour nap, which honestly wasn’t enough and we walked roughly 30 minutes from our AirBnB to the Grand Place—the central square of Brussels.

Every moment I spent in the Grand Place (pronounced Grahnd Plahce) was literally magical. The gold adornments, intricate sculptures, and reliefs on each building blew me away every single moment I spent there. Considering it is a 360 viewing experience, it is nearly impossible to capture everything in a photo all at once. The biggest negative is that because it is the most “touristy” part of the city, there are your typical Hard Rock Cafes and Starbucks shoehorned into some of the beautiful architecture— it’s just done in a way that its almost not noticeable. Somehow touristy has much more charm than it does in my home of NYC, or even Rome or Dublin for that matter. Additionally, there was a graduation happening in the Grand Place, that made it a little more crowded, but I did the best I could with my tripod and some patience from my mom.

We took a historic tour that included Chocolate and Waffles, and I wish I absorbed a little more, I was just so exhausted. Our tour guide was SO sweet and enthusiastic and I really learned so much despite my tiredness. Some key highlights of the tour include:

**Overview of Grand Place History and Architecture-** he went into detail on each building, its significance in history, and the meaning of many sculptures in the square. For example, the flag for Brussels is red and green which was why those colors were so prominent across the Grand Place.

**Le Funambule**- we learned about the unique way waffles are made in Belgium, and why they can seldom be recreated in the states. The plain presentation was most practical because locals can walk with them and keep their hands cold in the winter!

**Mannaken Pis**- strangely the most “touristy” thing we saw on this tour was the 17th century bronze statue of the Peeing Boy, who often wears a different outfit more or less every day. Apparently each outfit is requested on behalf of a charity organization, and there is a nearby museum where you can view some of them across history. I just found it so funny that such a beautiful little city was just covered with Mannaken Pis merch. We were lucky enough to see the statue with 2 unique outfits as well as unclothed, and even a parade of locals led by a mini statue peeing into the crowd? (unconfirmed; we’re pretty sure that’s how they commemorate a new outfit?)

**Poechenellekelder**- we walked by, and our guide had recommended us to stop by later. Basically, it was a restaurant that had a bunch of vintage marionettes sprinkled through.

**Royal Gallerie of Saint Hubert-** this was a beautiful upscale shopping center that evokes similar feelings to famous arcades in London, Paris and Milan. It also happens to be a great place to find an Uber if you need one! I really liked walking around here, and wished I had time to sit at one of the cafes.

**Mary Chocolaterie-** Inside of the Royal Gallery, we were introduced to one of the staple Belgian Chocolate brands, Mary to try pralines (different than the US). Each chocolate is made by hand daily— and it is the original recipe of Mary Delluc herself, who’s sweet story you can find here.

After the tour we went off on our own and visited the aforementioned Poechenellekelder for a quick lambic and a rest. Prior to coming to Belgium I had developed a love for lambic beer which originates there, so I wanted my first drink in the country to be just that. I was a little sad that it was the usual Lindemanns this time, but somehow it tasted better because vacation. To many the marionettes may have been cool and interesting, but I couldn’t help being a little scared of them..

We grabbed a legit dinner in the Grand Place, and got to watch a bunch of kids graduate which was super fun. Lots of excitement and confetti! It started drizzling right before our food came, so we sat under an umbrella and ate our Moules Fritte outside as many of the other Europeans did. What I found most interesting, was that because Belgium is such a central, country and often a travel hub, we watched our server who spoke both perfect English and French, slip perfectly into Dutch when needed. And here I can barely speak perfect English!

Day 2

Finally got some sleep and was ready to start day 2! We made it back to the Grand Place early to check out the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. The building was as architecturally beautiful on the outside as it was on the inside. Something cool my Mom always tells me is that when you enter a new church for the first time, you should make a wish! I really like that tidbit, so I always do :) My mom likes to light a candle for a loved one in churches as well so we did just that while marveling the incredible Stained Glass inside.

After visiting the cathedral, we actually went back to Le Funambule, because although the plain waffle was wonderful we had to try one of the specialty waffles. They also had buckets of nutella that I literally could not stop thinking about for one minute. Of course I got a waffle with strawberries, whipped cream, and nutella— while my mom got one with strawberries and bananas. I don’t know how fruit seasons work in Europe, but I didn’t expect October strawberries to be SO juicy and delicious. The whole thing was amazing, but with the whipped cream it was super filling.

When we went to Italy in 2017, my brother insisted on buying Pokemon cards because he felt it was important to get them in different languages as we travel to new countries. On the flight to Belgium I asked myself— well how am I supposed to do that here?! In my search for a perfect magnet and some postcards (bc I collect), we stumbled upon a little Japanese store in the middle of the Grand Place that had so much nerd stuff it made my heart sing. Of course I marched right to the front and asked what language their cards were, to which they replied “French” and I slammed my card down right there (probably). I was just so happy to see so much fandom representation in the store, and I had a VERY hard time not grabbing the SDS sodas because you rarely see merch for the series.

After a quick stop at a nearby cafe for an espresso, we made our way back in the direction of our AirBnB. My boss has a friend local to Brussels, and highly recommended the markets they have on weekends (we chose Flagey), that I would say are larger scale Farmers Markets you’d find in the US. This was easily such a highlight for my mom and I both, as we enjoyed local wine and oysters for crazy low prices. We also brought home some local cheeses, wine and a baguette to take back with us. One of the cheeses we found was a Mimolette, which I weirdly remembered as someone’s answer on an interview when I asked their favorite cheese.

We ended up going shopping for a bit because I needed to get better shoes to keep trekking on. I was hoping to find them in my tried and true Primark, H&M, and Forever 21 and when it felt like we lost all hope, we found a local fast fashion equivalent in Bershka. Additionally I found the Danish Brand Flying Tiger and SCREAMED because I haven’t seen one since their NYC locations closed, to my own heartbreak. I had to grab a few things from there as well, because I have no idea when I’ll make my way back into one. The rest of nice was super chill because we had to wake up super early for the next day.

I should mention at this point that I’ve been talking about this entire trip for months now to pretty much anyone who would listen—my friends, co-workers, VP, etc. After telling every single person who had been to the country, the feedback was always the same: “Brussels is fine and everything, but you’ve GOTTA go to Brugge.” At first the feedback was comforting, but when you hear it 100 times, it begins to become a little worrying. If everyone goes there, is it really going to be that charming? Are we about to head into Duloc hell with Times Square level crowds? Only time would tell. Additionally, we felt a little cursed because there was a marathon happening that weekend, beginning in near Brussels, and finishing in Brugge. We weren’t sure how it would affect us, but we knew it wasn’t gonna be good— we agreed the best thing to do was to keep the expectations low.

We had to wake up SUPER early for the next two days, to maximize our time in Brugge. We took a morning train out of Brussels-Zuid towards Brugge. Shortly after leaving the city of Brussels, the scenery quickly shifts to open farmland with precious cows, horses, and sheep. The train ride was more or less an hour long, and it was a beautiful ride.

Getting off the train in Brugge was just magical. I felt my fears leading up to the trip melt away right as we left the train station. Immediately, you can feel the difference in the architecture right away. Since it was still early the streets were relatively empty, so I was able to get some nice photos upon arrival. This is my preferred way of taking photos, so I can get it out of the way and continue to enjoy my day without having an impending shot-list.

There were some cute shops, ranging from souvenirs, to cafes and even a Harry Potter themed store— which of course immediately brought me joy. I loved walking into each of these stores to see all of the different trinkets they had for sale. Some were hidden behind small alleyways, while others were on the main stretch.

One of my favorite initial spots we checked out was the Gruuthusemuseum. Due to time constraints, we didn’t have the time to go inside, but the exterior and the grounds surrounding it were truly spectacular. It really felt like a medieval castle. I of course got some of my favorite photos of the day there— one of my highlights was just spinning around like a maniac in my flowy skirt right outside.

After some initial sightseeing, we were getting a little cold and a little hungry, so we made our way to the Markt (Main Square), that’s usually pictured on most postcards. I was the most excited to see this iconic square and I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed. The square and the architecture were both absolutely sensational— the problem was that the Marathon finish line was set right there. Parts of the square were blocked off, there was loud booming music, the crowds were out of control, and the most egregious: not only were there port-a-johns, there were open air urinals (dixi’s if you’re wondering) mere feet from the iconic buildings. Additionally, the Basilica of the Holy Blood was covered in scaffolding, and the Belfry Tower was partially obstructed by the Marathon from some angles. Could it have been worse? Yes, of course, we were half expecting it. But it was still disappointing nonetheless.

After several failed attempts to get some photos in the Markt, we settled on dining at Le Panier D’Or to try to make the best of an unfortunate situation. We had some nice Onion Soup and a beer and tried our best to enjoy people watching. The servers were so sweet and hilarious— at one point they were in competition to take the best photo of my Mom and I, which had us cracking up.

Once we finished up, we walked around and noticed immediately that some of the shops near the Markt were very different than the first few stores we stopped into. There were quite a few commercial businesses respectfully hidden in these historic buildings. I definitely wasn’t expecting a Dunkin’ and a McDonalds, but the whole thing was just funny juxtaposition to me.

From here, we spent some time at the Church of Our Lady of Brugge for a few reasons. Obviously the architecture and stained glass were amazing. Although my mom grew up a bit religious, I wasn’t raised that way so it’s always interesting to go to a place, albeit multiple places like this with her. She likes to donate a little money, light a candle, and say a prayer. Since my brother and I are both at a bit of a weird place in our life, she made a point to write out some manifestations for us in her words: “and leave them all over Europe.” It really means a lot to be honest, considering I am always feeling so awkward in these spaces.

The most special part about visiting this Church was the fact that there was a live piece from Michelangelo. Madonna and Child of Brugge was sculpted by Michelangelo and was his first piece during his lifetime to leave his home country of Italy. Not only was the sculpture absolutely sensational, his style is immediately identifiable. Although there is so much happening around this piece, it is just captivating, it’s the only place your eyes can go. It was just a wow moment, in such an unexpected place.

After departing from the Church, we grabbed a quick tea to warm up and a waffle of course. At that time there was a Pokémon Go Community day event happening for Timburr, so I was simultaneously and frantically trying to catch all my shinies with limited service. Fatefully this seems to happen when I go to Europe, because the first Charmander event was during my trip to Dublin. Thankfully in both instances, I got two and was happy with the circumstances.

…And then we headed to Brussels again for round 3

We left Brugge later in the afternoon, since we had done everything we really wanted to do while we were there. We were also cold and it was a little rainy, with my hair that means its time to go.
The ride was pretty quick and painless, and because I am me I am always reflecting. Amidst reflection, it stopped raining for a bit, and I said out loud: “Huh, this would be perfect for a rainbow, I wonder if we’ll get one!” And on command, we rounded a corner and there it was, right over the corn fields and cows. I practically erupted in tears. The more I looked over at it the more vibrant it got— and I was the only person on this very quiet train ride getting SO excited about it.

It was a FULL one, not just a piece. Eventually I couldn’t contain myself, and I went down to the first level of the train and took a bunch of photos. I even got a few people to turn around and get excited about it too. I felt like this was my main character moment. My life has felt so uncertain for a while now and especially after such an amazing day, I always take these moments as signs that everything is moving in the right direction.

Once we got to Brussels, I needed to get a scarf, because I couldn’t take the aforementioned cold anymore. I may have been cold but man was I super picky, none of the street vendors had the right color to thickness ratio I needed. There was actually a seemingly endless little mall right by the Mannaken Pis where I finally found my perfect scarf that I think I am gonna wear forever. We also had to pay our boy one more visit, where we got to see him without any of the excess clothing and actually see the statue on its own which was cool.

Since shopping always works up an appetite, my Mom and I agreed that Italian food was the way to go and stumbled into a restaurant near the Grand Place. It was such a nice time and the food was so good. I’m so basic but I really do go crazy for a good authentic spaghetti pomodoro and a bottle of Italian red.

Even though we JUST had dinner, there was only one thing left to do— Fries. My mom was at first adamantly against this, but I insisted because they were invented in Belgium and they’re pretty famous. I was also subject to seeing the cones from La Friterie for the entirety of the trip and had to give in to the pressure. Goddam, did they deliver. Despite having had a full dinner, they were both delicious and not filling, if that makes any sense. Even my Mom who was very skeptical changed her mind on the dime when she tried them. 100% worth it. Plus it gave us an excuse to have one more night walk through the Grand Place, all lit up, sans graduates for one last time. It was just perfect.

And with that, we had to wake up early for one last hurrah— which we will get into in Part 2 🍓

Shauna K 11/11/23 Shauna K 11/11/23

Nashville 2023: Celebrating our Friendship!

Hi, I’m Shauna and I did not survive the 2022 bloodbath that was the US Eras Tour Ticket sales via Ticketmaster. If you live under a rock, Taylor Swift announced that she’d be performing music across her 10-album discography. Up until this point, each tour has focused on a single “Era,” which was the current one of the time. So if you missed the 1989 era on tour back in 2015, its unlikely that you’ll hear many of the songs live. As I am a good citizen, I fan verified, got onto the waiting list, and never made it further. Like many, I watched scalpers scoop up thousands of tickets from fans all over the country, and eventually the world.

So.. how does not getting concert tickets have anything to do with a trip to Nashville?

I'm so glad you asked! It was Memorial Day Weekend, and Taylor was coming to my home city of NY and as previously mentioned, I didn’t have the tickets. A few days before the concert, a coworker of mine simply asked “You like Taylor Swift, right?” I felt my neck snap 360 degrees. It turns out he had a lead for tickets. Additionally, Taylor Nation alerted the public that we’d have one more shot at grabbing the remaining tickets from the initial release. My friend Heather and I were ready.

Unfortunately, our hopes were decimated as quickly as they came and everything fell through. I was devastated as I walked through NYC all weekend, littered with fans in their Eras merch. It was beyond FOMO. For what should have been our show, Taylor also released a special version of the Midnights album including the new song “You’re Losing Me,” which STILL as of 11/2023 is unavailable for streaming, despite how close I hold it to my heart.

In the mean time, I was looking up the castle from the Love Story music video and realized it was in Nashville. The pieces started to come together, so was Centennial Park and other references along her career. In a manic afternoon, I reached out to my friend Heather with screenshots of an Expedia Bundle and a list of places we could go. A long weekend in August was reasonably priced, so my credit card took a nice hit and we were officially going to Nashville.

Like a method actor, I prepped hard for this trip by returning to my country roots exclusively for like 2 weeks. It was honestly so nice and nostalgic to get me in the spirit. Although I was born in the city and grew up in the suburbs, I spent my high school years in a small town that had some pretty redneck patches. Many of my closest friends lived on scary dirt roads, with twists and turns, and I got to learn to drive there.

The flight was relatively quick, and getting there we quickly realized why it was so reasonably priced. It was 90+ degrees the whole weekend, because down south bby. We really did our best to work around this part, which I’ll get into a little later on.

I chose the hotel we stayed at completely randomly through Expedia, but once I saw the photos I was completely sold. We stayed at the Graduate— easily the cutest hotel I've ever stayed in! If you can’t tell by this webpage, I love pink. Plus, you know you’re staying in one of the cutest spots when people are in the lobby at all hours taking photos. The rooms were super cute and pastel but then the bathrooms were a dark/rock and roll themed. The hotel was also home to the rooftop restaurant White Limozeen, which was Dolly Parton Themed, Cross-eyed Critters Karaoke Bar, and Poindexter Cafe where they served coffee.

The hotel was a little further from Broadway in Nashville, but it was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle. Plus, the Ubers were super reasonable ! Everyone at the hotel was so kind and patient, and it was worth every moment. When we had first gotten there, I was kinda sad about some boy stuff, but a cheerful “Howdy” from the front desk, and some recommendations on places to go, brightened me right up.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Was it a little gimicky? Yea, but it was pretty cute and I got to learn a little bit. There were costumes on display from many different ages of country music, complete with descriptions on the artist and their legacy. There was a special exhibit dedicated to Taylor Swift where we got to see her robe from her honorary doctorate at Columbia, and the elevator buttons and cloak from Bejeweled. There was also a stand in broken Koi-Fish guitar from the Speak Now era that was featured in the 2023 video "I Can See You," since the original guitar that's usually there was with Taylor on tour at that moment. We also got to see hand written lyrics from Taylor's breakout hit, "Tim McGraw" which was super emotional. We also got to see the Hall of Fame, with so many noteworthy and historical names!

Centennial Park

The mecca of our trip. Taylor Swift wrote a sickeningly sweet song called Invisible String for her folklore album and I knew I needed to end up here one day. From its green grass and sometimes gold leaves, to its Parthenon for some reason, it’s definitely a special place. Because I am a disgusting fool, I immediately started playing it from my phone for both of us as we entered. I did see a guy in a teal shirt right on cue!

Additionally, we wanted to make our pilgrimage to the newly placed Taylor Swift Bench. As we approached, we saw some teenage girls around it, so we kinda awkwardly waited for them to finish from a distance, and then started to take pictures with it. One of the girls noticed us and came back with two friendship bracelets— I think I started to cry. Randomly, mine said “august” after one of my favorite songs of all time, as well as the month we were in. It was a bigger deal to me because she had released 1989 Taylor’s Version the day before (on 8/9). Heather’s was equally perfect, Daylight is such an incredible song too. We talked shop with her for a little bit before we parted ways. I wished I had made some bracelets so I could give her one. I was really moved by this small act of kindness.

The Gulch

I had so much fun chilling and walking around the Gulch. We went down to see the famous mural by Kelsey Montague, Nashville What Lifts You Wings, which was even cooler in person! I loved the little guitar details. There was a small line queued up, but it moved super quickly. We were pleasantly surprised with how many cute stores were there as well. We especially enjoyed Winky Lux and Kittenish ! Both stores had cute little photo-op areas and they encouraged us to go crazy, which we did ;)

Tractours

We got to live out our Woo-Girl dreams on this fun little adventure. A few friends had recommended doing a tractor tour of some kind, and Heather went ahead and found this one. This took some research, because not all of these tours are created equal. Some of them require peddling, which is a hard no, and others don't have alcohol.It’s not much of a “socializing” event, since people tended to stick to their groups, so keep this in mind.

This tour basically took you on an hour long drive through Nashville, complete with a bar, dance floor and elevated sides that you’re encouraged to stand on, dance on and most importantly hold on. The music selection was a good mix of country and pop, and our MC/Bartender RJ was so much fun. He was dancing on the bar and so engaged, you’d almost never know he does this every day.

Because the tour takes you through the city of Nashville, it starts off in the outskirts. Since we had chosen a later time-slot, it meant we were getting to the drop off spot- aka the middle of nowhere- while was dark dark outside. The entrance wasn’t marked, and the Uber had a little trouble getting there. Once you get there they have games like corn-hole, and drinks for sale as well as a relatively nice restroom, since there isn’t one on the tractor. Everyone was super nice and friendly and it was overall a great experience.

Broadway

The most "touristy" thing that you have to do on a first trip is to just walk up and down Broadway. There are a bunch of stores with cute souvenirs you can take home, which is my kryptonite as a magnet and post card collector. I knew if I tried on the overpriced cowboy boots, there was no turning back, because I love the look so much.

At night, the vibe changes substantially as the focus is less on shopping and more on.. Bar hopping. The whole honky-tonk vibe changes along with the street, as each location fills up with people ready to party all night.

We spent most of our time on Broadway where there are a million places to choose from. Most of them are multiple floors with a rooftop component, so they are made for more comfortable shoes to deal with the stairs and dance ofc.

Luke’s 32 Bridge- As a long time fan of his music, we had to stop at Luke Bryan’s Bar and it was one of my favorite spots to party in all of Nashville. There were 3 different floors with 3 different vibes— the first being super country, the middle being a little more clubby, and the top playing a lot of pop music. Since most of the crowd were marriage age (late 20s/early 30s) it was a lot of music that was popular when I was in college. Two highlights for me were screaming Shake it Off at 3am, and bopping around to Cotton-eyed Joe. I also experienced the most thirsty men here, so be warned.
FGL House- Florida Georgia Line’s Bar— I am so sad to say this was the biggest disappointment for me. This was the first bar we went to and I am a HUGE fan of FGL. I saw them live back in 2014, and used to listen to their first album on repeat for years. The live band performing was great, but we didn’t know almost any of the songs, and worse, not one of them were Florida Georgia Line. I’m sure the vibes are different at night, but if I had to pick, I’m always gonna pick Luke’s.
Layla’s Honky Tonk- We made a short stop at Layla’s but it was PACKED. We had a quick Jell-o shot and hydrated. The bartender was honestly an angel, there were a couple of girls who were melting down a bit in the bathroom, and she really took care of them.
Tailgate Brewery- They are a local brewery that had their own ciders and beers. There was some super cute art around the building as well!
Lucky Bastard Saloon- They were giving out free Jell-o shot coupons, and since the guy handing them out gave me like 5, we had to stop by. It was pretty chill, and I lost it when they played Welcome to the Black Parade. The biggest negative here was they charged for bottles of water. We didn’t experience it anywhere else so we were caught a little off guard. Considering we were encourged to dance on the dance floor and it was 90 degrees outside, it would have been nice.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge- We stopped in before it got too late and the vibes were so nice. We got to hear a live band perform both old and new country music, while attempting to beat the miserable heat.
Cross-eyed Critters Karaoke- had to get a quick drink at our hotel on night one and sing a quick “Santeria” for karaoke as per traditions. The bartenders were singing, and we made friends with them because they had amazing musical taste!

For your safety: I think it’s important to mention that due to the volume of people in these spaces, and the fact that it is a hotspot for Bachelorette parties, don’t let your guard down. Groups like this and women in general are targeted here for drink spiking/roofies. We did a good portion of drinking safely in our hotel room, and would mostly do sealed Jell-o shots when we were out to reduce risk. If we were drinking full drinks we were trying to space them out and really keep an eye on them and each other.

I honestly didn’t plan ahead as much as I had thought, but we found some cute places collectively around Nashville

Liberty Common- we stopped in for a lovely brunch along with a “Single Girl Spritz.” We went at a bit of a slower time which was such a breath of fresh air from the craziness. Our bartender was super sweet, and the food was good too. I promised a co-worker I’d do a shot of Tennessee whiskey while I was out there, so it was extra fitting that we were here when I was supposed to be on a call with him. This experience was really nice, but def a bit pricey so just be cogniscent.
San Antonio Taco Co- for a 180, slightly divey experience, I LOVED this spot so much. It was super casual, and you’d write your orders by checking off what you wanted in quantities. The food was super cheap and SO good and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Genuinely was trying to scheme ways to get back there.
Slider House- We grabbed a quick bite and a cider here on our first night. I really loved that they had such a wide cider selection, I had to get one I’d never tried before- which was a peach flavor!
Elliston Place Soda Shop- The aesthetic, vibes, and food were so on point here. The whole place felt very vintage Americana, which makes sense since they’ve been serving since 1939! I absolutely loved the cherry ice cream soda and the impossible burger. I definitely wasn’t inspired by the signage… Additionally, they had an adorable Lego replica of the restaurant at the host stand. It was really the perfect place to go for a rainy brunch to lift our spirits.
Parlour Doughnuts Since we were pressed for time heading to the airport, we gave Nashville one last hurrah at Parlour Doughnuts. Their flavors were all so interesting, I had an impossible time choosing. I settled on a raspberry pistachio donut, but I was holding myself down from grabbing a creamsickle one as well.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Nashville a lot—It was a good time. It was a little out of body being a single girl at a bar for the first time in my adult life. I may be a NYC 6 but I felt like a Nashville 10 for sure. Since I spend too much time on Tiktok with these hot skinny 20 somethings, and I’d kinda resigned myself to feeling unworthy of shimmering in a place like this. It totally went out the window for a fleeting moment when I was there, which was super freeing. As fun as the attention was, it’s a little scary, so it’s nice to know I still have it but also I need a break.

I’d love to go back with a bigger group next time when it’s not 90 degrees now that we know our way around. There were definitely some things I wanted to do that I couldn’t get to this time around. Most poignantly, we couldn’t go to the famous castle as it’s a private residence, only open to the public for their annual renaissance faire.

Maybe next time we can pretend to be in a bridal party to fit in— considering how many times we were asked what we were celebrating. Famously, when asked this question one too many times, Heather responded enthusiastically “OUR FRIENDSHIP” and I’d like to think she dropped an invisible mic.