Nashville…but not like the t.v. show

      If you've ever been on a trip to Nashville, you're probably familiar with a small portion of it. Big lights, country music, cowboy boots…that's downtown. If you've ventured any farther you may know of the up and coming East Nashville. Full of musicians, cute houses, and trendy restaurants (hipster land). Or maybe you visited the college part of town-Vandy and Belmont. Cue backpacks and late night coffee shops. Then you have Brentwood, the wealthiest county in all of Tennessee. Lots of mansions and beautiful homes. And you can't leave Nashville without visiting historic downtown Franklin. A picturesque town with the cutest shops and eateries. Of course there's a lot more to Nashville that I'm not mentioning, and that's kind of my point...

      You see, there's a part of town that you probably didn't visit while being in Nashville. I'm not blaming you, after all it's not well known. There's a 6 mile stretch of road North of Old Hickory Road towards downtown. It's somewhat like an International Village. You'll see signs in Arabic, Nepali, Spanish, and more. And I could take you to a place where you could eat authentic Mexican tacos for 2 bucks. So what am I getting at?

Behind all these foreign stores and shops are apartments and neighborhoods full of international people.
      These are the people that have made me fall in love with Nashville. This is what I want people to know about Nashville. It's more than just a vacation destination, it's a mission field. The people who live in this area probably feel just as out of place here as you might if you were driving through this section of town. They're looking for someone to be their friend. Someone to help them get accustomed to our culture.
      So next time you find yourself in Music City, don't forget about these people. Step into their world for a bit. Shop in their local store. Volunteer through World Relief. Just show them some love.

I'm going to miss all the cultures I was surrounded by; the friendships I made, the food I tasted, and of course these sweet girls. Nashville is so dear to me and has made for an amazing 2 years here. It will always feel like home for Mitch and I. 

We said "goodbye" to Nashville in May when we moved out of our apartment, but we've been here several times since then and decided to fly out from here to Guatemala. Our official goodbye will be October 1st (NEXT tuesday!). Here's to one more week in Nashville!