When I packed up my life in California and pointed my car toward Tennessee over a decade ago, I wasn't looking for a "boomtown." I was looking for a porch. I found it in East Nashville—a scrappy, soulful neighborhood where I moved into a little two-bedroom house with a yard so giant it felt like my own private kingdom.

Back then, "East" was the city’s best-kept secret. We had dive bars, local coffee spots that felt like living rooms, and a sense of space that California simply couldn’t offer. I spent three years in that house, growing alongside the weeds in that massive backyard. It was there that I started building more than just a garden; I was building a resume, a community, and a version of myself I hadn't met yet.

The Great Nashville Glow-Up

If you’ve visited Music City lately, you know the vibe has shifted from "hidden gem" to "global stage." The skyline I moved to is unrecognizable now—cranes have replaced the clouds, and the quiet pockets of the city are now bustling hubs of fashion, food, and high-energy nightlife.

Nashville has boomed, transformed, and leveled up in ways that make my head spin. But even as the "tall and skinnies" rise where bungalows used to sit, the soul of the place remains anchored by something the skyscrapers can’t touch: the water.

Finding Spirit in the Streams

People come for the bright lights and drinks, but I stayed for the rivers and trees. Tennessee is webbed with waterways—the Cumberland, the Harpeth, the Stones River—and they became my sanctuary. There is a specific kind of magic in the way the mist sits over a Tennessee river at sunrise. Exploring these banks helped me explore my own spirituality, grounding me when the pace of the city felt too fast. Nashville didn’t just give me a career; it gave me the space to breathe and grow into my own skin.

The Disco Cowgirl Era

To celebrate a decade of growth, grit, and glitter, I finally did it: the Disco Cowgirl photoshoot. It’s the ultimate Nashville rite of passage. Wearing this outfit instantly made me feel like a country star - I was too sparkly, noticeable and jingly too do anything besides headline a concert. My makeup is worth it’s own shoutout!

The Soundtrack of a Decade

You can’t talk about Nashville without the music. This city has been the background track to my entire adult life - literally, live music is always performing at restaraunts and country hits are always playing through the speakers at stores or hotels. I was never a huge country fan, but I would be lying if I didn’t have my favorites. To celebrate my 10+ years here, I’ve put together a playlist of the hits that defined the my era in Nashville.