Things I Miss: Part II

After I moved away from Waco, I wrote about things I miss about my life there. Because sometimes that little nostalgia bug comes to nibble at your heels and nags you until you're ready to buy a DeLorean and create a time machine.

Well, that sense of nostalgia for Waco, Baylor, and all the things I did there and that life still exists. Frequently.  But now that I have officially moved out of Nashville, with only one thought of going back in the near future, I am already aware of things that I miss, and things that I will miss.

I miss the weather. Beautiful powdery snow on my last day there, and only a few days over 100 degrees in the summer. A long stretch of days at my ideal of 68 degrees and enough cold days to make you appreciate the heat and enough hot days to make you appreciate the cold.

I miss the trees. Bright, vibrant colors all over the hills in the fall, and bountiful blooms in the spring. The smell of the purple magnolias and the mock orange trees as I walk to class. Actually appreciating spring for maybe the first time ever. But, no bluebonnets. So maybe they should work on that.

I will miss knowing my way around. It's frustrating to learn how to get around in a new town. It's probably even more frustrating to learn how to get around a new hospital.  I've gotten to where I can get lost and find my way back, or circumnavigate traffic, or correct a wrong turn, or just get where I need to go easily in Nashville. In Houston, not so much. Yet.

I will miss chatting in the student lounge. Those were some of the best times of the day - just sitting (and procrastinating a little bit) and solving the problems of the world, or complaining about the latest outrage, or airing opinions about the state of something important or trivial, or talking about Beyonce and Barbies and burgers. I will have colleagues in my work environments in the future, but I don't think it'll be the same.

I will miss all the opportunities I didn't get to maximize on while in Nashville. It's such a terrific city with so much to do, but because of time, company, money, and calorie restraints, I didn't get to do so many things that I wanted to. Although I had a great time and got to do a lot of really fun things, there is just SO MUCH more I wanted to do. I almost feel like I wasted an opportunity. But maybe I'll have a chance to go back some day. In the meantime, there's a lot to miss.

I already miss the accessibility to Cheerwine. What is Cheerwine? It's a delicious cherry soda from North Carolina that is sold in the southeast. And it's fabulous. I have two cans left, and I am saving them for days when I just need a little bit more pep in my step. I wonder if they deliver...

Things I won't miss? Obviously, the Worst Apartment Ever. The layout of the roads and places I need to go. The groups of a) hipsters and/or b) sorority girls in my way.

There's a lot more to miss than to not miss. Thanks for being great, Nash.

I <3 Music City.