People ask me how I like Nashville. Here’s the scoop: I’m not sold yet.

I haven’t been here enough to know. We moved here last August to a 2-bedroom Airb*nb we planned to stay in until the first of November of 2016. During that 3 month time the plan was to get the kids settled into a school rhythm and then I’d work with our realtor to find a house to live in more permanently. Our things have been in storage at my dad’s house for 2.5 years now since I ran away from home after my mom died we sold our house in Colorado.

In August, two weeks after we got to Nashville, our dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Since August, I’ve spent maybe 55% of my time actually in Nashville, some of which overlapped with Jason and other times we’ve seen each other for 3 hours at the airport passing the parenting baton between trips. Meeting new friends and connecting with old ones when we can has been awesome for our hearts. They have been amazing to offer to help with the kids, former beta fish: Red Fish and Blue Fish (RIP), and the 4-lb fluffy high-pitched barking dog. Being able to break bread with familiar friends in a foreign-to-me-city after my dad died: priceless. Plus, our Airb*nb host is stellar and something to write home about! She actually keeps asking us to just move in…we don’t want to leave, but it’s a 2-bedroom and Jason and I would dig our own bedroom again…you know what I’m sayin’
The school faculty and staff I have been able to meet and communicate with have been so supportive. Plus the school is great. The parents I’ve met have been amazing and gracious, even though in the back of my mind I wonder if they think I’m a slacker parent for basically winging the last 7.5 months and not volunteering like a boss. I love the kids my kids have met and continue to build relationships with. And the moms I’ve met at the mom Bible study are all sorts of awesome.

We joined the zoo for the amaze-balls playground…oh, and to look at animals. We joined the botanic gardens because: DUDE! Things bloom here and smell good and are pretty and there are 4 actual seasons that mostly stick to the 3-month rule, but most cheat and are longer (the good seasons cheat…winter’s been graciously wimpy). We joined the awesome-sauce Adventure Science Center because, as a family of four, we’ve already learned that if you go somewhere twice in one year, you’ve spent more than the annual family fee, and plus: holy schmoley, how cool is SCIENCE?!

 

I’m not kidding you: we’ve found 5 houses we’ve loved out of looking at 30-40ish, and when we went to make an offer, or did put in an offer, they all got snatched up ahead of us. Clearly we weren’t meant to live in those houses and I wish the other homeowners the best! So, I have to trust the timing of this for after we get things wrapped up in Denver. But, my realtor has become a dear friend and I’ve fallen in love with her, so there’s that

The trees are pretty but there are so many of them that this Southwest AZ/CO girl can’t see the sun as much as she would like. For reals…this is a thing. I can’t see the sunset as oft as it sets because there are so many freaking trees in the way…plus, when I moved here, a few weeks later the doc told me I was vitamin D deficient, so it’s real, people, I’m not just a sun worshipper. The hills are beautiful. There are turkeys and deer pretty much everywhere, oh, and red cardinals and blue jays and hummingbirds, so if it isn’t raining…ahem…then the birdsongs are beautiful.

 

I can taste the creative vibe here and have been able to dangle my toes in on occasion when I’ve been in town, but am excited to dive in and launch some new initiatives with some exquisite friends who have also recently moved to the city. Jason and I have been able to have a few lunch dates at some cool restaurants since our schedules allow us to work from home, even a couple date nights, but I’m looking forward to dating my man again and having actual conversations…

So, when I’ve been asked, “How do you like Nashville?,” on any given day, depending on if I’m back in CO sorting through my dad’s left-behind life and trying to bring closure, or if I’m in Nashville, reunited with my 3 favorite humans on the earth, I’ll say, “I can’t stand it” or that “it’s okay” or, “even though I don’t listen to country music, I’m glad we are here and I think it’s going to be good…

For my heart, there’s only partial closure with my dad’s death and estate. All of us sisters concur, Bobby’s death made Bebe’s fresh again, so double grief is real…so is placing one foot in front of the other…so is keeping my eyes in the right place…so is being gracious to my heart and the hearts of my family as we do this thing that seems Divinely directed and haphazard all at once. Another plus for Nashville: even though the best counselor in my world isn’t here, I found a back-up and will be meeting her tomorrow. Grief 3.0

Please forgive me if I haven’t called you back, replied to a text or email, or pursued hanging out in this town just yet. I do know which way is up and which way is down, but I no longer know which way the sun sets…

So, do I like Nashville? I don’t know. I moved here…but I don’t live here yet.

 

 

Categories:

No responses yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email is FUN!

You guys, let's stay connected! Enter your email to receive blog notifications and other insider news!

Archives
Categories