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I'll Take a Pair of Cowboy Boots, Hold the Mask Please

For New Year’s Eve I decided to take an out of state trip. The plan was to have some fun and reset for 2022. As a caregiver to my father, I rarely have time to devote to myself and think about goals. When thinking of my vacation location - I always knew that my choice would be a southern state. Nashville, TN has been on my list for many years as a place to visit. After checking out inexpensive airline tickets and hotel prices it was confirmed that I would be bringing in the New Year in Nashville.

Once the destination was set, I began planning my activities. I wanted to take in all of what Nashville had to offer like Hot Chicken and line dancing, so I made restaurant and spa reservations well in advance of my travel dates. Two weeks before my trip Omicron infections began to peak across the country. I began getting calls from close friends stating that they had unfortunately been infected with the virus. All of this news made me second guess my travel plans.


I gave it some serious thought and a week before my trip, I decided to press my way to Nashville. I understood that my plans to explore the city would be pretty limited. However, I wasn’t expecting the call from my hairdresser canceling my appointment or the fancy restaurant in Nashville closing their doors on NYE due to the entire staff catching COVID.


Despite all signs pointing south- I headed to the airport on NYE to catch my flight to Nashville. The flight there was pretty uneventful and I got excited all over again. When I arrived at my hotel I was surprised to see so many cowboy boots and not enough masks. This was a huge concern for me and I decided to order food and stay in that night. I slept through the countdown to the New Year while First 48 played on my TV.


I woke up the next day relaxed and ready to try some of Nashville’s southern food. I took an Uber to a local favorite, Monell’s for brunch. The grits were amazing! After brunch I headed back to my room to write out my goals and read a chapter in a book that I was reading, Feeding The Soul by Tabitha Brown. After staying in the room for an hour I looked outside and noticed it was raining profusely. Unbeknownst to me Nashville was under a tornado warning. I went downstairs to the bar and ordered a cocktail. The remainder of the day I caught up on sleep.


Sunday was supposed to be my spa and sightseeing day. But, I was awakened to a text message from the owner of the day spa informing me that they would need to cancel my appointment because of the weather. It turned out that Nashville was expecting snow showers throughout the day. Although I was a bit disappointed, I didn’t let the news get me down and I decided to order breakfast and re-plan my day. After breakfast I got dressed and caught an Uber to Broadway. The original plan was to get the famous hot chicken and leave (to avoid large crowds). Luckily Broadway was not busy so I decided to walk down the street.


I found the African American Music Museum which was pretty cool. I enjoyed that it was self-led and interactive. I strolled the Assembly Hall for a bite to eat and purchased Hot Chicken from Prince’s. My Uber ride back to my hotel was entertaining. I met a gentleman around my age, and we discussed the gentrification going on in Nashville and the hot spots to check out the next time I visit the city. After returning to my room, I got a Ring notification warning me about the winter advisory in effect for Maryland on Monday.


I was scheduled to leave Nashville on Monday morning. I’ve never packed so quickly to leave a place in my life. American Airlines was able to find me a flight back to DC on Sunday evening (they did charge me twice). On the flight back to DC I realized that although the majority of my plans were canceled, I was still able to find some. I think the lesson for me was to not put so much pressure on myself always set goals but be prepared to pivot in 2022.


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