It was 9 a.m. when we got up. Breakfast ended at the same time, which meant no tiny boxed cereal or watery eggs for us. Instead, it was Oreos and an apple. We got ready while watching a cartoon and cleaned the room up a little before returning our keys. The valet brought around my car and we were off.
One of the biggest reasons I’d been wanting to visit Nashville was because of the Parthenon replica located in the middle of Centennial Park. It was a seven-minute drive from the hotel so we went over to check it out. When we arrived, there was minimal parking, however, I was lucky and found a spot almost in front of the building so we didn’t have to walk very far.
When we were up close and personal with Parthenon Jr, it seemed to be smaller than I expected. There were three tiers leading up to the platform of the replica, then two sets of more convenient steps on each entrance end. There weren’t very many people around, but one of the few groups there decided the best place to sit would be on the convenient steps. I thought that maybe if I walked toward the steps, they would move over a little to let me through. I was wrong. They continued to sit there and chat while I went to the tall tiers next to them and practically climbed Mount Everest three times.
Once I was on the platform, it felt amazing. There were families taking photos, people having picnics and children racing their friends or siblings in the large grassy area around the building. There was a museum inside the building, but instead of going inside, I decided to just walk around the replica once and call it a day. I had taken one art history class, so I was pretty much an expert on the topic. I was confident there was nothing more to learn. Later on, my father’s friend informed me that he spent around three hours in the museum portion. So if you ever visit the replica in Nashville, go learn a little more about the Parthenon.
After 15 minutes, Samantha and I began to walk back to the car. A man with a camera stopped me on the sidewalk and asked if he could ask me some questions. I agreed and figured he would ask me something about the Parthenon, I thought I would look like a genius because I had taken the survey one art history class. Once again, I was wrong.
The camera was pointed at my face and I stood taller, to boost my confidence. Instead of asking me about my experience at the Parthenon replica, he asked me about Apple’s newest iOS update. He explained that if you call the police on any iPhone, this update would send your location to them. I had no idea how to answer this question, I didn’t even know that Apple was releasing a new iOS update. My answer was complete and total B.S. So, if you see anyone on the Nashville news that seemed like they had no idea what they were talking about, that’s me.
After leaving, Samantha and I decided to go back to the mall and shop around a little. There were some really amazing stores at Opry Mills, however, we decided to go to all the places we could go to back in Atlanta: The Disney Store, H&M, Forever 21 and Bed Bath and Beyond. Samantha bought two bathing suits, a travel mirror and something for her hair. I, on the other hand, started off by purchasing a silverware set for my apartment. At first, I felt like an adult. Then, right before leaving, we stopped at an overpriced candy store and I purchased $25 worth of gummy bears. Not my proudest moment, but I’ve got gummy bears to last me for a while now.
Another terrible idea we had was to leave at 4 p.m., when everyone gets out of work. The traffic was not as bad as Atlanta’s, but it’s not what I needed when I was running on five hours of sleep. After an hour of stop-and-go traffic, we stopped for gas and the closest thing we could get to a meal.
The ride was smooth sailing from there, that is until Samantha found out about one of her favorite singers passing away. She put her earbuds in and kept to herself for the rest of the ride. I was on my own.
The drive was beautiful. One highway we were on was lined with flowers (weeds but I still like to think of them as flowers) and had little traffic. The sky didn’t have a single cloud in it and where the road cut off in the horizon, it was met with a bright blue. There were times when rain started pouring down, but after five minutes, it was gone.
We arrived back in Woodstock around 8 p.m. There were two suitcases in the back of the car, which is not hard work to unload, but neither of us wanted to do it. I grabbed my bag and dragged it in then trudged up the stairs. Without changing out of my clothes, I collapsed onto my bed and was knocked out until the next morning.
All in all, this trip was amazing. To get out of the house and explore a new area is one of the greatest opportunities people have. If sitting around all summer is at the top of your agenda, I encourage you to knock it down to number two and explore the world. We are all so young and taking advantage of the opportunities we have is something you should seriously consider. This trip, for one person, cost only $150. Take a few friends along and split the cost of expenses. Cheap travelling is easy and you get an amazing experience out of it.
