Fried Green 'Maters.

C'est finit. Alors, bonjour l'ete!
The past week I've been experiencing a weird transitional feeling. School is over. Roommates are leaving, but I haven't. My room is empty except for a bed and things I will be taking to the Samuelson's. Work hasn't started full time. So what's a girl to do?

For starters, I took a trip to Nashville to visit Bailey and Jeff, and I'm still pretty keen on moving there after I graduate. Interesting, the diversity of people you can find in the city. In the two days I was there, I met some fascinating people:

-An old security guard at the Frist Museum. He was an engineering student who dropped out of MIT because he couldn't afford it, finishing off at Vanderbilt. He told Jeff and I we should value the fact that we have a passion for writing because he "sure as hell don't!" He flunked english the first time he took it in h.s.
-Dave, a dobro player who started a bluegrass band in Cookeville,TN. He graduated from ETSU with a psyche degree, lived in Boone for awhile, and was a dedicated skater/snowboarder until one day he turned on the radio and heard a bluegrass song. He was hooked after that, and came back to Nashville (where he grew up) to pursue music.
-Christo, a boy from Iceland whose family is originally from Columbia, South America. He has been couch hopping around the U.S. for awhile and is trying to get down to South America. Bailey's friends wanted him to experience some old time music before he headed down to Florida, so he came with us to her show. I've never seen a person so thankful for any kind of opportunity...his face was illuminating the entire night.

These are just a few, but you get the idea. I decided I want to make it a new goal of mine to start talking to strangers more. This weekend, I particularly noticed Jeff's ability to start a conversation with a random person, only for them to leave knowing a great deal about each other's lives. I think this is an awesome way to learn more about the world, just listening to other people's experiences and having the opportunity to share your own. Something to think about.