Why Our Trip to Nashville Could Change YOUR Relationship

I have been wanting to visit Nashville for well over a year.  Have you ever got something in your head and then suddenly it’s everywhere you turn? That was Nashville for me.  Every book I read, interview I watched, article I skimmed had SOMETHING to do with Nashville.  It became this enigma and the more it popped up in everyday life, the more I had the itch to head south.

Well, one fateful weekend at the end of March we had our chance!

A conference that Chris and I had been wanting to go to (more on that later :D) was being held in, you guessed it-Nashville!  Needless to say, we jumped at the chance.  With only had a few days in the area we definitely wanted to make the most the city and friends, it did not disappoint!  So the following is a little glimpse into our trip- a look at what we loved, what we ate (duh) :p  AND why this little conference we went to is significant for YOU…seriously.

We headed out of MI with our anticipation as full as our cooler.  Two key ingredients for a GREAT road trip if you ask me: excitement and all.the.snacks. So much cheaper and healthier if you can plan ahead a little.  I packed our little cooler with veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts, raisins, protein bars and even chicken salads for lunch. (Also, enough food to cover all of our breakfasts at the hotel.) Hello, I’m Megan and I am a planner…sometimes to a fault.

Embarking on a road trip is nothing new for us.  We went to college 12 hours from home and have done MULTIPLE youth ministry trips  to Florida and back with a van packed with teenagers. So 9 hours to Nashville? Psh. Child’s play.

You know from our previous post that Playlists are a must, so in between listening to Audio Books and  Sermons, Chris and I took turns putting together a road trip playlist!  Highly recommend that for your next date night.  It makes time fly by…as much as 9 hours can. ahem.

It was a full day on the road, so when the hotel greeted us right outside of Nashville, it was a sight for sore eyes.  Clean, modern, and SURROUNDED by things to do.

We dropped our stuff in the room and headed out on foot to explore BECAUSE less than a mile from our hotel was West Elm, Anthropologie and…wait for it…A TWO STORY WHOLE FOODS.

Can you hear that? It’s angels singing the praises of hemp seed and grilled veggies. (Massive thanks to our great friend Chris Cook for the recommendation!) The upper deck of this place features great seating and a HUGE kitchen for cooking classes.  Basically, I would move in.

The rest of the trip included lots of exploring and our conference! (Eeek! Almost there, in the meantime enjoy the pictures :D)

We hung out a bit in East Nashville, which is so hipster, you feel slightly cooler and more artistic just walking the neighborhood.  We highly recommend Marche for brunch and then exploring this highly-walkable  area on foot.

It was SO interesting and “artist-friendly.” You can tell that many move here to pursue dreams and the culture sort of bends around that. There were all these pop up store fronts that you could rent by the month and set your own hours.  There were dozens of shops selling the most interesting things!  You just wanted to high-five all the shop owners to say,”way to go you, you’re doing it!”….But you’re not sure if the “high-five” is still cool with these people or if it will just make you seem SEVERELY “mid-west,” so you hold off and just offer the “I-see-what-you’re-doing-there” head bob.  #Classsic

If quaint downtown’s are your jam then make sure you also check out downtown Franklin!  The drive alone is worth it, but when you land in the downtown area with tons of fun restaurants and shops, you’re going to want to grab a coffee and explore  a while.

We made a quick pit stop at the Opryland Hotel. And yes, the indoor rivers and gondola are for real.

We also had chance to hang out in 12 South, another very cool neighborhood right outside the downtown area.  Make sure you check out the Frothy Monkey (one of 4 locations) for a great cup of coffee, White’s Mercantile, Draper & James (Reese Witherspoon’s store...you won’t be able to afford much, BUT it oozes with southern charm.  Literally. They offer you sweet tea when you walk in. I mean…)

And right next to Draper & James is the infamous “Cupcake ATM” AND the “I believe in Nashville” mural.  It’s photo opp heaven.

There were so many highlights, but Chris’ favorite part…..a visit to Ramsey Solutions and a chance to check out the Dave Ramsey Show!

(Did you see our Periscope? We were a little excited. READ: I may have dropped the phone.) Even though the show wasn’t being taped that day. (insert crying emoji) it was still well worth it to take a mini tour through this inspirational place! Check out this wall, signed by all the people that have traveled to the studio to do an infamous “we’re debt free!” scream.

And one day, when we pay off our house, God-willing, we’re coming for you wall.

Now onto the “Real” reason we went to Nashville….

The little conference we went to, well, we became certified RELATIONSHIP COACHES! That’s right, we’re legit. Now there’s an actual title behind all of our passion lol 😉  In all seriousness, she said in her most professional voice, Chris and I are now certified Relationship Coaches through Prepare & Enrich.  We wanted to take our passion to see marriages and relationships thrive to the next level.  Don’t worry, we’re not going to get “sales-y,” that’s not who we are.  We simply have a legitimate desire to help couples create a vision for what their relationship could be and offer the practical steps to help them get there.

So why not get started right away yea? We want to offer you 2 things:

First-We created an audio resource that will give you 10 Keys to Sustaining a Healthy Relationship. It’s 10 things you can implement TODAY that will strengthen your relationship. You can download it right now just by clicking here.

Second-Relationship Coaching.  We offer pre-marital as well as marital coaching.  It begins with an online assessment that you and your partner take separately. From there we help you recognize and thrive in your areas of strength and offer lots of practical ways to grow together in the area’s that could use a little bolstering. If you’re interested just fill out this quick form on our “work with us” page. 

Our passions for relationships began when we created Pursuit of Love. And it deepened all the more when we walked through our journey with infertility, which statistically, not a lot of couples make it through.  We believe in God’s design for your marriage and would love to come alongside you in any way we can.

AND…seeing as next week is our Anniversary, *cough *cough, you know, love is in the air…and it will probably be showing up in the next few posts as well 😉

So guys,

1. Check out Nashville!

2. Grab 10 Keys to Sustaining a Healthy Relationship

3. If your relationship could use a little coaching, don’t hesitate

Until next time,

Meg