My True Love

My first true love happened when I was a pre-teen. I went on a trip with my church's youth group to Nashville and fell in love. With the city.

I made several more trips as a teen to Nashville, but since most of them were with my church, I wasn't able to explore like I wanted. But the pull was there. Just what was going on downtown? Where was that music coming from? Who is walking down Broadway?

When I moved to a small college town, most weekends would find me and my roommate on the streets of Nashville. Going from nightclub to bar to honky-tonk. But I knew there was something more to the city.

Luckily I met a man that loves the city as much as I do. When we were dating, we would head downtown and explore. Museums, restaurants, and parks. We were basically tourists in our own city. And we still do it sometimes, just to see what's new.

This Christmas, I wanted to get Justin a book about Nashville. We paln on decorating our office in Nashville prints and pictures. And our coffee table looked kinda empty. It needed a book.

I searched and searched and found the perfect book. The only problem was I had a budget, and the book would cut into almost half of it. So I didn't get the book but promised myself that I would get it eventually.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I got an email asking to review a book about Nashville. Of course I said yes, and when the book came, I actually did a happy dance.

It was the same book I almost got Justin for Christmas. Historic Photos of Nashville by Jan Duke.

This book takes Nashville's history and makes it come alive. It has always been fun for me to imagine what Nashville was like back then, but now- I have pictures. And proof that I was born in the wrong time period.

One of my favorites include a picture of the Ryman Auditorium, where Justin proposed to me. Another is of Union Station, a train station converted to the prettiest hotel I've seen in this city.

The book retails for $39.99, which is really a great price when you consider the quality.

The only problem I've had with this book is keeping grubby fingerprints off the cover. You just can't resist it.