First Night in Nashville

It was white and bigger than I imagined (it was my PT Cruiser) I threw my bags in and just squealed. I held onto the new car smell as if it were going to leave me in mere seconds. For a whole minute i just sat and took in the feeling of udder freedom. I am a big girl now was all I could think of. I had just rented my first car in a city I was super unfamiliar with and was ready to begin my new journey. I had my directions and off I went. Let me tell you... the road/highways/driving is so different here. I had to navigate and it was amazing. All worries that had been there before now escaped me.

As I got closer to Brentwood I realized that I wasn't in California as I know California anymore. The houses are HUGE and there are actually trees...green... and what they call the suburbs include a large distance in between homes!!!

I pulled up to the Banks house and was completely calm. As many of you know, I have been friends with Kevin for a while, but have not seen him in over a year and a half. I was nervous to see him, but from the second we saw each other it was like it had always been. All my nerves were calm and it was almost like a little piece of home. His house is so huge!!!!

I realized really quick that If I ever live in Nashville... I have to have a smaller house than this. It is so huge that I felt like I was being swallowed up! His basement that he shares with his brother is the size of half my house. HA.

But... on to the good stuff. So we went to this roller skating rink last night to meet up with some of his friends for a birthday party. I met some really nice people who all made me feel super welcome. But there was this guy...

Okay... before you go off thinking that I have met my soul mate... slow down! Ha. I was hanging out feeling slightly awkward with Kev flirting with this other girl (go for it bud... but you left me in the dust)... so I was just watching the roller skaters trying to remember the last time i had been at a rink (def. 6th grade b-day party) and this guy Adam comes over and just stands by me. Now... kinda weird at first... I basically didn't know what to do with myself... but he was so nice.

His story was crazy. He is from South Africa (I found out that South Africa is actually a country within Southern Africa...felt slightly dumb). His parents moved to South Africa before he was born to be missionary's and he just came back 3 years ago to go to College. We talked for like an hour about his passions and how his heart is to go and work with the political aspects and AIDS side of his country. He asked me about why I was in Nashville and it was just a great conversation. I found out that South Africa is huge and 1 in 4 people have AIDS. That is so crazy.

I guess that what I learned from this experience is that sometimes I completely shut off when I am around guys... like I want to wear this bulls-eye that says i am not interested, but this was great. I will most likely never talk to this guy again, but it was such a unique conversation. Without even really knowing each other we just talked about life...college...and our passions. It was really encouraging to meet a guy that was less interested in what I looked like or what i did for fun on Friday nights and more how God was using me and what I wanted out of life. It was so cool!

This morning I woke up and had breakfast with the Banks family. Talk about a different lifestyle. It was really cool just to get to hangout with a different family and bounce ideas off.

So... tonight I have dinner with the family I hope to live with! I am super excited about that.

I forgot to tell you that I met these two ladies on the plane. They were asking me about why i was coming to Nashville and after I told them, they were like oh my gosh we have the perfect women for you to meet. She is trying to start this charity thing and she would love you! I am going to e-mail them and who knows... at this point I have such faith that God is going to put me where I am supposed to be. It is the feeling of udder hope and faith. I am not scared or worried, but just excited for the opportunity to try something new!!!!

WELL.. I am off to church:) - me