Nashville

Well, it has been a little over a week since I got back from Nashville, and daily I wish so badly that I was back there once again. It's like a second home to me. I wish I could explain why I love it so much or what it is, but when I try to tell people exactly why I do, I just come up short of words to expand on. I love everything about it: the scenery, the people, the music, the opportunities, the food and the list could go on and on.
Every year that I've gone back, its been cool to compare myself to where and who I was the year before. I have grown so much since that first year and it has been so great coming out of my shell more, being able to meet new people and even just being more outspoken with some of my favorite artists! I feel like I always learn so much about myself, what I want and being away from it all really lets you have time to think about God's plan for your life. And every year I'm reminded of just how much I love music and how no matter what has happened in my life, that love has never wavered. I know in my heart, that I belong there. I want to sing and write or just be involved in the music industry somehow. Now, it's just a matter of making it happen and God's timing.
This year was a blast and even though I didn't get to meet a lot of stars, we made up for it in so many other areas that it didn't even matter.

Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

• Belle Meade Plantation
• Two Rivers Mansion 
• Tour of the stars homes around Nashville
• Seeing familiar faces around town :)
• Carrie Underwood's fan club party
• The Opry (Carrie, Love and Theft, Kip Moore, Easton Corbin and of course, Little Jimmy and Bill Anderson) and hanging out by the buses trying to meet Carrie with some friends HAHA. It didn't work, but it's always an experience
• City of Hope Softball game (Got a picture with Lauren Alaina, Ty Brown, etc)
• Driving around listening to Country music
• CMA Fest concerts(especially Carrie, Hunter Hayes, Jason Aldean, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, 
• Jana Kramer's album release party/concert/meet and greet
• Eden's Edge listening party & breakfast
• Hanging out by the buses before the CMT Awards started (Saw Rascal Flatts-Gary's daughter waved to us and Joe Don Rooney said hi to the little group we were in, Carrie and Mike, Zac Brown Band, and KENNY CHESNEY WAVED TO US!)
• Our traditional dinner at the Sports Grill across the street from Bridgestone where the CMT Awards were held, and Brad Paisley showing up to sing a song outside with Hank Williams Jr.
• The Country Music Hall of Fame exhibits of the Bakersfield Sound and Taylor Swift's Speak Now costumes
• Trying new restaurants like Maggiano's, Pied Piper, Backstage Opry Grill, Puckett's and Maggie Moo's
• Joe Don Rooney following me on Twitter!
• Visiting Crosspoint church! (Saw Kingston there)
• Being interviewed by Channel 2 news at Carrie's party and hearing from a friend that I was the only interview they showed on TV the next morning!!!!!! (Still trying to track it down)
• Driving around town listening to Country music...doesn't get any better than that
• Finding Love Circle; the best view of Nashville, especially at night

I could go on and on for days about everything that went down back there, but I don't think that would be very exciting! I'll just leave you with this...if you're a country music fan, you HAVE to go back there at least once. It's a great way to hear some incredible live music, meet some great friends and just have a good time in one of my favorite places on earth. I'll be posting some videos and pictures in a separate post, because otherwise this would be extremely long. Once I get started on Nashville, I can't stop. LOL.

That's all for now,
Shelby