I have a confession. I am not always decisive.
I know — shocking, coming from someone who once booked a trip to New Zealand a month before leaving. But every now and then, I go back and forth on something so many times that even I get tired of myself. This was one of those times.
It started when I casually mentioned to Logan that maybe — maybe — we’d try a resort trip in Jamaica. A beach. Relax. Hang out, do nothing. Now, if you know me at all, you know that is not really my thing. I like to go. I like to explore. I like to eat the food, find the locals, and see what a place is actually about. But I figured, one resort trip, why not?
Logan’s response was immediate. “My home country?!”
I’m sorry — what?
Apparently, somewhere along the way, Logan decided Jamaica is his home country. We have no idea where this came from. No family connection. No explanation. Just full commitment to the bit. A few hours later, I mention a beach in Jamaica to Q — completely separately, no Logan in sight — and without missing a beat, he goes, “Logan’s home country!!”
They’re in on something together and we are not invited. Moving on.
So I did what I do — I started researching. I booked a few resorts, all refundable, because I never fully commit until I’m ready. And then I looked at the ticket prices. Spring break pricing is absolutely not it. I will not spend more than $400 on a ticket. I know deals exist, I have found them before, and I refuse to pay spring break markup on principle. It’s just not worth it to me.
And then came the group text spiral. I dragged my friends into it — should we go? Should we not go? Back and forth, back and forth. They know me. They know I am not a sit by the beach and do nothing kind of person. And bless them, because instead of pressuring me either way, they just said, “You can do it!” — but also, “You don’t have to go anywhere.” That’s the best kind of friends. No pressure, just support, whatever you decide.
What I decided was to cancel the whole thing. And randomly, we landed on Nashville.
We drove, kept it simple, and I loved every single minute of it.
Nashville is one of those cities that just has an energy to it. The country music history alone is worth the trip. We visited the Opry Hotel — didn’t stay there, just went to walk around and take it in, and it is something else. The kind of place where you walk in and immediately understand why people make a whole trip out of it.
The food hall was an absolute highlight. I wish every big city had something like this (maybe they do?). You walk in and just want to try everything, which is exactly what we did. Something for everyone, no arguments about where to eat, just go get what you want and meet back at the table (if you can find one!) More cities need this concept immediately.
And then there was Centennial Park, right across from Vanderbilt. It was a little cold but we didn’t care. The boys threw a ball around, walked the paths, completely entertained themselves while Matt and I just sat on a bench and watched them. That’s one of my favorite kinds of travel moments — not planned, not on any list, just finding a patch of green in the middle of a city and letting the kids be kids for a little while.
We also hit the science center — and this is one of my favorite money saving tips that I tell everyone. We have a Science Center of Des Moines season pass, and that thing pays for itself over and over again. It reciprocates with Science City in Kansas City, and it worked in Nashville too. We walked into the Nashville science center and didn’t pay a single penny. If you have a local science center membership, look up what it reciprocates with before you travel. You might be surprised how far it goes.
One more thing — on our last day we did a bus tour, and I have to give that its own post because honestly it deserves it. Bus tours have become one of our favorite things to do in a new city and Nashville was no exception. More on that soon.
Jamaica will still be there. Logan’s home country isn’t going anywhere. But Nashville was exactly what we needed and I’d go back without hesitation — maybe even without all the back and forth next time.
Maybe.
