WHY I MOVED TO NASHVILLE / OUR 1 YEAR NASHVILLE ANNIVERSARY
One year ago, I said goodbye to LA and moved across the country to start a new adventure in Nashville. I never thought Tennessee would be a place I would land. I just assumed I would stay in California for years and years to come. I love the palm trees, the constant pool weather, the short trip to Disneyland, and the variety of cultures and food spread throughout the city… But one day, it just felt like it was time to start a new chapter in a place I constantly found myself gravitating toward. So now, after one year of calling Nashville home, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the whole journey so far.
Why I Made the Move
Really, I guess it’s a why we made the move. Cooper (my husband) was born and raised right outside of Nashville. We would take frequent trips here because we enjoyed the area so much. The southern comfort food, the cool coffee spots, antique shopping, the rain, the cool weather in the winter…so many little things kept bringing us back. It always felt like a perfect blend of the southern roots I grew up with in Texas, but with some of the energy you find in LA from the dream chasers. It was always a thought in the back of our heads that if we ever had something pop off financially, it would be pretty cool to have a condo in “The Gulch” of Nashville. But we never thought of outright moving there, I would say, until after a phone call with some friends. Our friends had just bought a home outside of Nashville that was about the size of ours, but for a quarter of the price. That really gets you thinking. We talked about what it would look like with our jobs to move there. Nashville is also a huge music city, and with so much of our work at home, the idea of moving somewhere new became a possibility for the first time. We talked timeline, we talked about how we could always fly back to LA for work when needed, and how so many acting auditions are just on tape, so location was not a factor as much anymore. A week after that phone call, we felt pretty sure we were ready for something new. I’ve never stayed in one place, even growing up, much longer than 5 years, so the idea of a fresh change excited me.
No Bad Blood
I’ve seen a lot of YouTube videos with titles like “ Why I left LA” followed by a lot of negative things to say about living in LA. Sure, the parking does suck, the air quality isn’t great, and yes, you will meet your share of fake people. But I didn’t leave LA giving it the middle finger on the way out. Actually, I felt like it was an amicable break up and I left with a peace knowing we weren’t going to be together, but we would still be friends. We would still be familiar. I missed Nashville when I lived in LA, and I miss LA now that I’m in Nashville. Maybe there will always be a little bit of that. I guess what I’m trying to say is my move wasn’t prompted by a deep loathing that grew for the city I was in, more just an opportunity for something new in front of me and I wanted to see where it would take me.
Why I’m Glad We Moved
After 1 year of living in Tennessee, I feel so good about our decision. Obviously, we had no idea what the first year would look like (hello, pandemic). It sounds strange, but it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly to move when we did, because if there was any place to be cooped up for almost a year, I’m glad it was in the home we are in now. We have space that’s a dedicated work room which feels so good! It’s a place where we can make music, stream, and still feel separated from the rest of our personal lives, unlike when we used to stream from our living room. And with this whole year being all work from home, I’m especially thankful for this! Plus, with a year of so many unknowns, it’s been nice to live in a place where we can save money. From our monthly home payments to even the price of gas, it’s pretty wild how much more we would pay for certain things before. That being said, I still haven’t found a hair colorist that I love that isn’t actually a billion dollars, so not everything is cheaper. We also have a lot of lifetime friends here and although we did spend a lot of time “zooming” together 2020, it feels good to have a community here too. I also love the changing seasons! Like I mentioned, with how much I moved around, I don’t mind a change, so I like that the weather does the same.
What I’m Looking Forward To
I can’t wait to explore this city more! There are still so many coffee shops, restaurants, and cool bars I want to check out when it’s safe to do so again. I want to visit the Smokey Mountains since they are only a drive away, as well as explore more hiking trails! I want to make new music connections out here, find more people to collaborate and write with. I want to build roots enough to be here for a while, and if we ever decide to have kids in the future, there are a lot of great areas to start a family (but right now, I’m a dog and plant mom all the way). I want to meet more people and make meaningful friendships here. There’s still so much potential and I’m really loving where I’m at. Who knows how long we’ll stay, but I can’t wait to make more memories here.