Nashville, Day 1

I had wanted to visit Nashville for quite sometime, but never had the opportunity. My alma mater, Kansas State University scheduled an away football game in Nashville playing Vanderbilt, this fall. I tried to convince my friends and coworkers to go, but that was a bust. They're all married or in relationships, so they weren't up for a girl's trip. So, I thought through who might be a good travel partner and I thought of a former MBA classmate who always seemed fun and liked to travel. Thankfully, she was up for an adventure!

Day 1
I was SO excited for this trip. It was my first real vacation in just over two years! We both arrived at the airport around the same time. From there we took an Uber to our Airbnb apartment. I picked out a place with a terrific location near the area we planned to spend most of our time; Printer's Alley and Broadway. The apartment was perfect and the mini kitchen came in handy. I would definitely stay here again!

Our next stop was to Acme Feed & Seed for a late lunch. In preparation for the trip, Acme's name kept coming up as a good place to eat. I've heard that Nashville is always busy, but with roughly 25,000 fans from K-State in town, Broadway Street was packed to the brim along with all the bars/restaurants around. We waited in line at Acme to place our order and then waited even longer for our food to be delivered. I think it took about 30+ minutes to get our food. I was hungry and ready to try their BBQ sandwich and sweet potato fries. The bread was soggy and the fries were so salty that they were inedible. Finding a table once we got our food was next to impossible. The views from the rooftop of the river were nice, but the roof was packed to say the least. I definitely wouldn't eat there again.

After checking out some nearby shops in hopes of adding to my bracelet collection, I realized everything I liked was far outside of my budget.

From there we headed to the Nashville Farmers' Market that I'd read rave reviews on. It was less than a mile to get there. It was in what looked like a park. There, I bought a basil lemonade with whiskey. So refreshing. We also tried the best mini donuts and bought some for breakfast. After reading terrific reviews on it, we tried Jeni's Ice Cream.

Literally, the best ice cream I've ever had. They had fun, unique flavors. I loved the brown butter almond brittle and peanut butter with chocolate flecks. So good and smooth. It was such a fun, unique experience.

Next door to the Farmer's Market we saw some kind of festival. We walked by to see how much tickets were; maybe we'd go. Um, no! It was actually The Wine + Food Festival. Tickets for the whole weekend were $525; more than the cost of my flight. Apparently, famous chefs were there and up and coming chefs.

From there, we walked back to our neighborhood and ate at the Frothy Monkey. I'd seen that in my pre-trip research. All the restaurants had super heavy menu items; I know it is the south, but... The Frothy Monkey was a quaint, low-key spot. We split a delicious Gail salad and Royale sandwich. Each ingredient served a specific, well-thought out purpose. I already miss this place!

Then, we hit Broadway for music. We spent some time jamming out at Second Fiddle. The quality of music and bands in Nashville is off the charts! Next, we headed just off Broadway to get away from the crowds. We ended up at The George Jones, which is on 2nd Avenue. We loved this place, there was a terrific band and a refreshing breeze coming in from the river. They had a roomy dance floor too!

What a beautiful first day in Nashville!

That Time I Worked a Gig I Found on Craigslist

I always check the gigs section of Craigslist, looking for a safe, quick, legal way to earn some cash. In April, I responded to an ad for someone to read script with people auditioning for roles in a movie that would be shot in Manhattan, KS. I was a little skeptical. I looked up the L.A. based producer and he seemed legit. We talked on the phone and I found that castings would be at a reputable arts center.

The producer wouldn't be at the casting, but the director would. I arrived early as requested and no one was there. Even past the start time the director wasn't there. Meanwhile teenagers with their parents and young adults were all waiting. After calling the producer, the director arrived and we rushed to get everything set up to start.

I checked everyone in and read all the character's lines with those auditioning. Let's just say that reading lines is not as easy as one would think. ;)

The director was a super cool guy in his mid-20s who is from Manhattan, KS, but lives in L.A. He reminded me of my younger cousin.

It was fun seeing everyone's take on the characters they read for and guessing if the director would like them or not.

It was a fun experience getting to make some money and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So, my advice would be: 1) do your research to make sure the gig is legit and 2) ultimately, you should go with your gut, while making sure you feel safe.

Danca Molenga

I LOVE watching dance shows! While catching up on So You Think You Can Dance, I saw this super fun salsa routine by Kiki and Koine. What I enjoyed most was the vibrant wardrobe, cheeky dance, and the upbeat song, Danca Molenga. The song has a fun island flair to it. It was my favorite dance of the show. Enjoy!