Memphis In May

Right off the bat, I need to make the point to any of my friends here in the South....please don't think I'm a complete snob when I talk about my experiences in this blog-I promise, I'm a really nice person:). Yet the title completely encompasses this move for me - meant to be a simpler way of like, yet based on the fact that I've lived a sheltered, comfortable existence for the past 27 years, I see things very different and more complex (I blame my parents-haha).

So with that comes Memphis in May. At this time last year, I remember Andrew telling me how May is the best time of the year to be in Memphis because of two major functions-The Beale Street Music Festival and BBQ Fest (the largest BBQ cooking contest in the country). We didn't make it to the Music Festival, but we did attend BBQ Fest. The event is usually on the Mississippi River, yet due to the flood, it took place on the Mid-South Fairgrounds. The contest works like this: people sign up for a space and are given an allotted area where they can set up their tent. In the end, hundreds of white tents are lined up back to back, filling up the entire grounds. For four days it's like a big party, where people are barbecuing, drinking, dancing, etc (people literally take work off). The key is to know people because that's the only way you can try their BBQ. The last day is the actual BBQ contest. I'll tell you what, I didn't fully get it; I definitely felt like a fish out of water. Now, I won't get in detail about everything I saw and thought, but I don't think I made many new friends:(

We went on a Friday night and made our first stop at one of Andrew's patient's tents. Smoke filled the air from some of the largest grills I've ever seen in my life. We walked over to the line to get food and she said, "Let me get you a plate." I said, "I'm fine for now; I really don't eat BBQ." As the words left my mouth, I wanted to quickly grab them and stuff them back in. What was I thinking? I felt like I was in a movie - her eyes glazed over, she stared for a minute, and Andrew looked at me with complete embarrassment. "Oh, well then, bless your little heart; you came to the wrong place tonight sweetie pie, didn't you?" (said with the thickest accent). I seriously thought for a moment I was either going to get thrown out or I was gonna throw up. I was so embarrassed that as I was trying to walk away, I tripped, fell over into a man, causing his beer to get knocked out of his hand and into my hair (the tripping isn't abnormal for me). Needless to say,  I'm learning more and more to think before I speak, keep an open mind, and embrace traditions that I might not understand or be accustomed to. Otherwise, Andrew might put me on the next flight out of here. haha

But I'm not a complete foreigner...

Anyone who knows me well, knows I've always been a die hard country music fan. Although Andrew isn't, he agreed to go with me to all the concerts that come into the area. So last night we got to see Kenny Chesney and it was absolutely amazing. I think he really saw a side of me that he didn't know existed (a dorky, sing all the words at the top of my lungs, dancing, sentimental fan). But truthfully, he hasn't seen anything yet!