feels like home

After 5 weeks of on-and-off living in Nashville, I finally feel at home.

Last night was incredible. Absolutely incredible. I had the brilliant idea to try to start studying for the GRE, realized that I have absolutely no vocabulary, and decided -- instead -- to go celebrate one of my roomie's birthday and the other's engagement. It was the first time all three of us had been in the apartment in weeks...

...so we drank diet sunkist and vodka and caught up on life.

We decided to go out to the Stage, which is one of the good honkeytonk bars on Broadway (kind of touristy, but its because the band was so good that they flooded in). Our apartment is on West End, so it was pretty cool to literally turn right out of our complex and drive straight into the heart of downtown.

I had forgotten how much I love dancing and drinking beer and listening to good cover bands. And somewhere in between twirling around with my roommates and watching the typefied "tradidional bar characters" do their thing, I realized that I've become very fond of Nashville. It's got it's own spunk and twang, and I hope I walk away from this summer with at least a bit of the spark under my belt.

Everyone here acts like a rockstar. I was at a coffeeshop yesterday, and this man walked in... traditional Nashville guy -- dark jeans, white shirt, hair products, rockstar glasses -- and called the barista by name, then persisted to order a "large iced coffee, very little ice... no, less ice... man, even less ice... and wait, is that tap water? i don't do tap water..."

People just walk around like they own the city. You've got your preppy Vandys (which don't really hang out at the Stage.. which was nice. The big school frat scene will forever make me feel superficial and very under-tanned), your artsy-eclectic types, your country music star wannabees, and your hillbilly tourists. It's a rather entertaining sight..

So last night, we heard the band sing Big & Rich about "driving in down Broadway"... while we were on Broadway. They played every single "oh my gosh I LOVE this song" song I could think of (with the exception of the ACDC type stuff..).. it was a really, really nice night.

And alas... we ended it by rolling down the windows, blaring RENT, and singing our little hearts out as we drove home.

Good, good night.

This weekend will be full of adventures, as well; going out for happy hour with my coworkers, then out with my roommates (and my roomie's brother and fiance and other roomie's friend) tonight... then picking Kyle up from the airport in the morning, going to breakfast with him, dropping him off at his conference, doing grad school / GRE stuff, taking Kyle to eat popsicles (no joke. he knows its on the agenda), doing dinner with the Danielsons, then going out to hear Kyle's cousin's band play downtown Saturday night...

And Sunday, I'll sleep.

I just have three weekends left, which is weird. And even stranger... I've left for three weekends, so I've really only spent a few weekends here... and one was moving in. This summer is so short... I'm finally settling in, and I already have to think about packing.

Maybe it's better it took so long to settle, though... my "introvert / spiritual exploration / lounge by the pool and drink chai tea time" has given me a chance to catch my breath so I can really enjoy these last few weeks.

And my supervisor offered me a stellar letter of recommendation today for grad school. I'm so excited.

Phew.. mid morning "lunch break" done (on days I don't take lunch breaks, I take breaks and play around in between coding videotapes... gets my mind back on track)... back to watching cute little kiddos with ASD attempt to take turns.