Midwest Adventure - part 1: Nashville to Carbondale

This trip back in the States was completely unplanned - but I chose to view it as an opportunity to do things and see people that I would not normally have had time to if James and I both took vacation time to fly back. One of those things I really wanted to do was head out to the Midwest and see my brother Nate, who is studying music at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. From there, I could drive up to Carbondale, IL for a couple days to see some of my old college friends and speak to the InterVarsity college ministry about what is going on in Japan. Nate and I also planned to drive up to Louisville, KY for the weekend to see my grandparents and my high school film mentor who lived near by. Then we would head back down to Nashville, and I would hopefully get to see a few more friends before flying back to Colorado. I was only out there for a week so it was a true whirlwind adventure. But worth it!

I arrived in Nashville on a Tuesday night. The city welcomed me with live country music in the airport and the voices of country music stars making the announcements over the intercom. It was exciting! After picking up my bag, I rented a little white Nissan Versa, and set out into the city! I've never rented a car, made a hotel reservation for myself, or taken a solitary road trip before so this vacation was very empowering for me.

I got a little lost on my way to Belmont, but that's fine. I wasn't in a hurry. I made it there in time to pick Nate up and take him out for a late dinner at Chili's. It was great spending that time one-on-one and hearing more in-detail about his life. He is so solid in his faith and is so far ahead of the game compared to other freshmen boys! I was very impressed. =^)

The next morning he had classes to go to, so I had a few hours to myself. My hotel was only a few blocks down from Centennial Park - the home of the famous, full-scale replica of the Parthenon. So I decided to head down there and take a walk with my camera. The weather in Nashville was gorgeous - high 70's and sunny. The grass was green, the trees were blooming and flowers were popping up all over the place. What a change from the cold, snowy winter weather in Misawa!

Nashville is known as the Athens of the South - and so this gigantic Grecian temple is not quite as out-of-place as you might think. Apparently they've restored the inside as well and you can go in and see the statue of Athena. I didn't have time to do that, which is a bummer. But even seeing the beautiful architecture and magnitude of this building was incredible!

After my walk, I met Nate for lunch, then followed him around and listened as he accompanied some vocal students in their seminar classes. Belmont has a beautiful campus. They had colorful flower beds scattered all over the place which added to that awesome feeling of springtime. It was also great hearing Nate play and getting that glimpse into the way a music school operates. Looks like he is getting a great education.

Soon after those vocal classes ended, I hit the road again and drove 3.5 hours north to Carbondale. The drive was so much fun! The weather was perfect, and the car had a really nice sound system in it so I got to jam to my favorite music the whole way. The redbuds were blooming so the roads were lined with their bright purple blossoms. I felt free and independent, which helped heal and uplift my spirit after a few very stressful weeks.

The first thing I did after arriving was meet some of my old college friends for dinner at my favorite restaurant in town - Steak 'n Shake! Most of the people who were able to come meet me were freshmen when I graduated but are now seniors and getting ready to graduate in a few weeks. In many ways, I think the timing of this trip back has been very fortunate. If I had waited even a few months to come back and visit, most of my friends would have been gone!

The next morning, I went out to breakfast with my friend Matt Jones and his wife Cassie. He is one of the five guys I hung out with all of the time during film school. We definitely missed the rest of our group, but I very much enjoyed catching up with him and reliving old times. He is seriously one of the funniest people I know so it felt good to laugh so much.

Soon after that, I met my college pastor Patrick and his adorable three year old son Zeke for lunch. Patrick and his wife Nettie have been a huge influence in my life and spiritual development so it was great to catch up and talk through things that we're both going through right now. I also got to stay with their family that night, which was very fun.

I had the afternoon to myself so I called some of those friends who had already moved on and continued to focus on reconnecting with old friends. Then I grabbed a bite to eat and walked over to take part in their weekly InterVarsity meeting. It was SO great - they have grown so much. The worship team sounded great, the leadership team did a fantastic job putting together a program that was both funny and compelling, I got to hear a word from Patrick and Nettie, and then they gave me an opportunity to share what I've been through and to invite them to join me in praying for the salvation of Japan. Being there helped renew and affirm my passion for college ministry and I am eager to get back to Misawa and continue working with the youth there.