Only in Nashville

When I graduated from college I wanted to work anywhere but Nashville.  I applied for jobs all over the country for months.  Finally, just to be able to say "yes" when my mother asked if I had applied locally, I put in a resume with one company in Nashville. One. And this past week I celebrated three years with that company. That milestone, combined with many other recent events, has made me so happy to call this charming little town home and left me saying many times “Only in Nashville…”. 

I recently went to Keith Urban’s All for the Hall charity concert benefitting the Country Music Hall of Fame with two of my favorite girls (who make Nashville even sweeter).

Downtown Nashville - Cowgirl Boots and All... 

Fro-Yo

 My restaurant selection for the night - Suzy Wong's House of Yum - to use the groupon that I unknowingly purchased while still reeling from anesthesia.

Only in Nashville can a country music star like Keith Urban gather dozens of his closest friends (including Vince Gill, Alabama, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, The Pistol Annies, The Band Perry, The Oak Ridge Boys, Little Big Town, Thompson Square, Diamond Rio, Blue Sky Riders, Merle Haggard, and Don Williams) to volunteer their performances for a sold out arena. Oh yeah, Vince and Keith played in the band for every group’s performance. Oh, and Keith Urban was invited to become a member of The Opry in the middle of the show. No big deal.

All for the Hall

Speaking of the Opry, my friend/co-worker/fashion expert Ashley and I recently hosted some clients as back stage guests at the Opry Country Classics show at Ryman Auditorium – the mother church of country music.  

Ashley - Backstage

Our backstage hostess, a native Oklahoman, was telling me about how Larry Gatlin was going to call all Oklahomans out on stage to sing a song that he had just written to benefit the recent tornado victims.  She convinced me to go with her since I was an honorary Oklahoman for four years of college (I mean, I am kind of from there).  So he starts the song and a handful of people walk to the stairs to be seated. I sit down, look to my left, and see none other than Vince Gill plop down right beside me with his guitar.  He wasn’t scheduled to perform that night, but he had dropped by to jam a bit with the Blue Sky Riders.  So there I am sitting beside him. What do I do? I take a picture. Duh.

 Vince Gill

Larry Gatlin

So one week I was watching Vince on stage with thousands of other fans, and this week I was just sitting on the Ryman stairs with him while he strummed us a few tunes. Oh, Nashville.

And I would be sorry if I didn’t mention that my favorite team, the Predators, just made it to round two of the playoffs! Yes, I googled it to make sure that it is called “the playoffs”. Seriously though, I love some good Predators hockey.

So Nashville, just in case you were wondering, I am thankful to be right where I am.  Also, I promise that I don’t work for the chamber of commerce.