Living in Tennessee: Our Two Year Anniversary
I can't believe it's been two years since we made the leap of faith to leave everything behind and move to Tennessee. It doesn't seem like as many months have passed because we've found our groove easily in Middle Tennessee.
New Opportunities
The vendor scene is lively here. My first two years in the Nashville area has given me the opportunity to participate in many, many vendor events. A lot of the events are juried or the vendors have to be preselected. This was new to me and exciting. It's always nice to hear I made the cut when going against so many talented creatives. Not only have I had the opportunity to vend at numerous events since we moved, but the girls and I have enjoyed going to handmade markets such as Made South and other local craft fairs just for fun.
Walking a local trail
New Experiences
Living in the Nashville area has been a great enhancement to our homeschool. We've been able to go on some really cool field trips like meeting the broadcasters from the Wally Show at WAY-FM and touring News Channel 5. At first I wasn't sure what homeschooling in Tennessee would be like since it was a change from our previous state, but I soon learned that there wasn't a need to worry.
Our family at ICE!
Not only has moving created new experiences for our homeschool, but for our family in general. My husband is finding his way in his field of choice. It's been an experience watching him move past himself and jumping over obstacles to do the thing that he really wants to do.
We've also been able to enjoy more of new experiences together like camping for the first time. For the longest amount of time, my daughters and I would do most things without my husband. It was just to difficult to include him, but now he is able to do more things with us as a family such as visiting Hatch Show Print, attending ICE! at Gaylord Opryland, exploring the Renaissance Festival, and going to Teach Them Diligently Nashville together.
New Friends
Moving to Tennessee didn't have anything to do with living in the same city or state as family or friends. We honestly didn't know one person when moved into our apartment. But less than a week of moving, we met new friends. It was so cool to go on our first field trip just a few weeks after arriving. We visited the Tennessee State Capitol and was able to see live sessions. It made the transition a bit smoother for my daughters who were beginning to miss their old friends.
Helping at a local back to school event with other people in our community
Now that we've been here for two years, we have started a small homeschooling community group to help my daughters continue to make friends. I have made friends of my own too. It's been the first time in my adult life that I have consistent, healthy, in real life adult interaction. My friend, Pat, and I were able to attend a live recording of The Chat with Priscilla Shirer. My husband also has been stepping out of his comfort zone and has connected with some awesome guys in our new community.
I didn't know what to expect when we made the leap two years ago and even if I would've listed my expectations, I am sure I couldn't have made it work like this on my own.