Nashtucky!

Admittedly, my geography (spelling, sense of direction, common sense, the list could go on...) isn't what it should be. In 6th grade I won a competition in Geography class, so my teacher didn't make me take the States Test where you identify the 50 United States. I didn't learn the location of the states for the test, and 14 years later, it is still something I struggle with. My excuses are crippling.

Anyway, when Steven started contemplating Vanderbilt Law School, I was immediately impressed. I knew nothing about Vanderbilt, but it sounded prestigious and fancy. Discovering the university was in Tennessee, I wasn't sure what to think (or where exactly Tennessee was- or how to spell it for that matter). To me, Tennessee sounded pretty darn southern and pretty darn country.

Over the past 5 months, Steven and I have learned a lot about where we live, so we've compiled a list of some interesting Tennessee facts we've come across and observed.

1. There are a lot of Hicks in Tennessee. 6,156 to be exact (according to the yellow pages).
2. Tennessee simultaneously celebrates its Confederate/Yankee history. "Greenville has the only monument in the United States honoring both the Union and Confederate armies." Closer to home, there is a huge scary-looking statue of a Confederate soldier on his majestic looking reared back horse surrounded by the stars and bars right off of I-40.
3. The Nashville strip, from where the city got its "NashVegas" nickname, is nothing like the Las Vegas strip. But it's a sweet attempt.
4. Not unlike Las Vegas, however, when you walk down the strip, people are vying for your attention. But, instead of smut peddlers, on every street corner and doorway budding musicians are playing their guitars, hoping for their shot at fame.
5. Graceland, Elvis' famed home, is the second-most visited home in the U.S., only behind the White House, I imagine.
6. Tennessians are also called butternuts, for the color of their uniforms worn during the Civil War.
7. Cumberland University in Lebanon is the unfortunate record holder for the worst loss in college football history. The final score was 222 to 0.
8. Tennessee is the number 44 most livable state.

All those random facts aside, Steven and I are really enjoying our time here so far. There is always something fun to do, beautiful scenery, and the people are very friendly. Oh, and the food. That's pretty good too.