When I moved to Nashville in 1998 it was not the “it city” and still seemed like a small town especially for me because I am a Los Angeles native. I had decided to look for a new home in a smaller town. I knew I wanted to be somewhere that was green and had regular rain. The Pacific Northwest is where I thought I would end up until a random trip to visit friends that had relocated to Tennessee changed the course of my life.

I naively thought I would never want to live in the South, but thought it might be fun to visit. I really didn’t know much about Tennessee and my view was based on stereotype and not the true soul of the place. The South is beautiful. That alone should have been a good enough reason to move there. When Spring comes and everything starts to come alive and turn green again it takes your breath away. The rolling hills, the blooming trees, creeks, and rivers will make you fall in love with the place. But, there is more to it than that. The people are genuine and friendly. They don’t mind taking the time to listen to your story, they are eager to lend a hand, be a good neighbor and friend. Of course they will tell stories too with a good natured sense of humor and family is more important than anything.

I could go on about food, culture and music too. We have great music here. All of these things make Tennessee very livable. However, it’s the quiet, simple life, the interactions you have on a daily basis with a dear friend or someone you just met that makes living here so wonderful. I may be a transplant, but my roots are happy and growing deeper every year.