I have been slacking so much on blogging. We went to London and Paris last month, and I have left about three unfinished posts in WordPress and Word 2013. Those posts are still forthcoming (and long overdue), but right now, I am traveling a whole lot closer to home, in the Athens of the South.
I’m not going to tell you about how much I love SWE, or how important it is to me. (I’ve written posts on that before, and if you let me start talking about SWE, I’ll need a few hours to talk your ear off). But I will tell you that late October / early November is one of the most wonderful times of the year: annual conference week.
I was so excited that this year’s conference was in Nashville. (After my recent traveling, I do not want to set foot on an airplane anytime soon.) Yesterday, I had an easy morning drive through Illinois, Kentucky (cue the nostalgia), and finally into Tennessee! I haven’t been through here in years.
I arrived at my hotel, and since the room wasn’t ready yet, I decided to draw on some of the many suggestions that my tour guides had provided. Conveniently, two of my friends from high school did their undergrad at Vanderbilt. Between Audrey’s long list of restaurant suggestions and Ryan’s list of fun, authentic Nashville tourism, I felt prepared for an afternoon of solo sightseeing.
But first, a much-needed brunch. I’ve heard my friends talk about Frothy Monkey and decided to give it a try. A skim latte, eggs, turkey sausage, sourdough toast, and fruit. Yum 🙂
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On my walk to and from Frothy Monkey, I also saw the Schemerhorn Symphony Center, the AT&T Building (aka the Batman building), the home of the Predators, and Broadway, full of live music and the like.
Then, it was time to head west a little to Vanderbilt. My first stop was Centennial Park, home to the Parthenon, which was originally built for a late 1890s exposition (think 1904 World’s Fair).
After a walk, I drove across the street to Vanderbilt’s campus. It was a gorgeous day to explore a pretty campus. 🙂
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Once my parking spot ran out, I headed over to Hillsboro Village (wedged between Vanderbilt & Belmont) to wander around. I stopped at a vintage used bookstore (so many beautiful things) and picked up a cute shirt at Posh Boutique. Even though I didn’t really need more coffee, I dropped into Fido, if only to say that I have been to a coffee shop that Taylor Swift frequents on occasion.
At long last, I checked into my hotel and settled in for a quiet evening. Can’t say for sure when a “day 1” post will arrive (tomorrow will be insane), but I’m having a wonderful time and am so happy to be with my SWE family this week!
Kate
Planes & Pink 
[…] Last year, I posted daily updates about my WE14 adventures. This year, life has been busy (read: too much traveling) and I have not had the time or energy to write long posts. That being said, here’s a long awaited recap of my WE15 adventures, beginning on Wednesday. (To read more about Tuesday and my arrival in Nashville, read this post.) […]