Howdy from Nashville

Among all the fun senior activities, fall break was one for the books. My friends and I decided to follow UNC senior tradition and head down to Nashville, Tennessee, for our fall break. With 12 girls and three cars, we were packed and headed on the road at 6 am on Thursday. Like most road trips, we ate snacks, told stories, and sang our hearts out to some country music to get in the mood. Upon arrival, we unpacked our bags and sought out what to wear as our weekend began. Our fall break also had a lot of birthday celebrations along with our trip.

The girls and I put on our boots and headed down to Broadway. I had never been to Nashville before, so I was very excited to see what I saw on social media. It was more than I could have imagined. I am from Wilmington, NC, so while country music is appreciated, I have never been in the heart of it before. I was feeling my country girl swag with all the live music and the parade of cowboy boots and hats. We spent time walking down Broadway venturing into some famous bars such as Morgan Wallen's, Jason Aldean's, and my girl Miranda Lambert's. I appreciated the live music scene, as it felt like a mini-concert at each stop.

As the weekend progressed, I got to deepen my bond with the girls on my trip. It was nice to be able to spend quality time with the people you see so much in Chapel Hill but in a different environment. We danced, sang, enjoyed a cocktail or two, and made it the best trip we could. My favorite part was the outfits. I mean, when you are staying with 11 other girls, the closet selection is unlimited. Who knew my lack of interest in the country girl lifestyle would turn into me loving my cowgirl boots and wanting to try on everyone's hats? Dare I say that country music is now my guilty pleasure? What a wonderful time we had.

On Sunday, we packed up to journey back to Chapel Hill. A long eight-hour car ride back led me to where I am now: in my room on my bed. As I reflect on my weekend in Nashville, I learned to soak up these memories as a senior, as they are already moving by so fast, but to also appreciate the friends you have and make the most of them. We have so little time in college and in life. Prioritizing those friendships and making the most of them is so important, and I'm glad Nashville made me get closer to those friendships.