It's 12:05 am. I just turned in an assignent. Such is my life. Get up at 5:00am; head to the Keurig; fill up, get in the car by 6:15, PICU by 7:00; stay til 7:00 pm; answer a few mommy calls and questions from Troup and company throughout the day in my spare HA! time. Also round somewhere in there for Troup.
Come home, change clothes, eat meal prepared by wonderful husband, watch TV for sanity and have snuggle time, love my 3 furry babies, and then stay up after everyone else sleeps and do assignments due at midnight.
73 more days.
Thank you Lord, for this opportunity. Thank you for blessing my family, but I am ready for this gift to be wrapped up.
Please let me be smart enough to do this job (and pass my boards).
Goodnight world.
xoxo

Stay...Jackson Browne style...

"Now the seats are all empty.
Let the roadies take the stage.
Pack it up and tear it down....
But when that last guitar been packed away, you know that I still want to play.
So just make sure you got it all set to go.
Before you come for my piano..."

It is the last night. I have packed it up and torn it down 8 times.
I still want to play. Maybe we can play in August.
This has been a ride. A good ride with a roller coaster of emotions, lots of knowledge. A bad ride with all of the traveling and costs.
Im ready to get off. It's time.
I'm coming home tomorrow.
The next trip is with my family for a big celebration!!!!
Goodnight everybody.
Nik

Happy Birthday Martin!!! I LOVE YOU WHOLE BUNCH!  xoxoxoxoxoxo

So when I was in youth group, Robbie Gravely came up with something called "Best Day Days".  Those are days that are just the best days. They beat all the others. They make you thankful for being a pirate looking at 30ish...
Anyways, Yesterday was one of those days.
I left early this time, I was supposed to come to Nashville by 4 to be involved in the ambassador program, where I help represent the peds program and answer questions to new students.  I surprise myself at how well I am doing in this program, and sometimes wonder if I am just flying under the radar.  For this reason, I am terrified of boards. Some of the people here are so smart. Sometimes I have no idea what they are talking about. I talked to martin about it tonight, and he said, "Nikki. You make people feel like that too when you talk about brains." He always knows what to say to make me feel better. Can you believe in 3 months we will have been married 5 years?
Anyways, I digress. Look! There is a shiny object!
Back to the best day day.
So I left early. I left really early. Normally, I try to work a half day and then hustle as fast as I can to get to Nashville in 5-6 hours and try very hard to do it before dark. I never make it, though, there are too many beautiful places to see on the way...
So I started out on 101 to hwy 11. I called daddy and asked him to route me a more scenic drive. I told him I wanted to at least go through Cherokee and Gatlinburg. He had me go to Asheville and get on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Well, I got to the parkway, went South instead of North, because Daddy told me to turn left, got frustrated, and just got back on 26. I drove to the exit that was familiar to me, 74/19 and it directed me to Maggie Valley and Cherokee. I took it. I wasn't wanting to go on the Parkway as much as I was the long stretch between Cherokee and Gatlinburg. I drove through the beautiful valley, and it was misting rain. I stopped just past an old store that read "Best view here!" and it had a big hand pained arrow. I took lots of pictures from that spot.

 I got back in my car and that is where the singing started. I just sang to my Jesus. The whole trip was in respect to my Mema. Together though the years, Jennifer, Ben, and I went with her and aunt Neal from Memas house, out to 441 where we went to Cherokee and on up to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  We took this route together, and I wanted to do it to remember her. So, I started out with "Victory in Jesus!" That is my, along with my Mama Bonnie's favorite hymn. Then I drove a little bit more. The world stretched out in front of me was just amazing.  So beautiful.

  I finally made it to Cherokee. It looks exactly like I remember. I haven't been there since I was like 20, and that was the last trip with Mema. I haven't actually stopped there since I was like 8.  I stopped at one of the most ridiculous tourist shops and bought me a pair of Moccasins.  They are fabulous. Real, Deerskin Moccasins. Time for a Coke Icee and a cheeseburger, and back on the road.  I drove and snapped pictures along the way, looked at some indian jewelry, hand carved pocketbooks, and got back in the road. 

 I continued up 441 towards Gatlinburg. The next song was "Make my life a prayer to you". Then some verses of "My chains are gone", Martin's favorite version of "Amazing Grace".  I drove. The next thing on the agenda was the visitor center. I always pass by, but never stop. Yesterday, I stopped.  I got out, did some necessities, and sat in a rocker for a little while, sat by the river for a little while, walked out to the farm museum, went in the gift shop and talked to a ranger. I bought a bird book and a book about the Smokies. I took lots of beautiful pictures. I got back in the car. Now the crisp air is irresistable. I was wearing flip flops, a skirt, a teeshirt, and a pony tail. The windows came down, the sunroof went up, and I threw a blanket over my stuff in the back seat. Heaven. My Jesus was near. My Mema was in the front seat, and my Jesus was near.

I drove some more up the windy, green road. The view was just spectacular. How can you not believe when you see the world like that?

"Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing!"
The radio is off and I just sing and sing and sing.
Time to stop. Another gorgeous view of the moutains. Absolutely breathtaking. The smoke is there.

 I stopped several times for the views.
 I stopped again when I came to the little bridge over the river. I have many fond memories of this bridge. I have seen it when I was a little girl, I have seen it when I was grown in the snow.
I stayed on the bridge for a while and praised my Jesus. I sang loud. I prayed.
Yesterday, I relaxed. I rejuvenated. I healed.

I got back in the car.

At this point, it is time for some Buffett.
I turned on my favorite CD, "Encores". It is a compilation of all of his Encore performances, all live, all taped in different cities. 
The next stop was Clingman's Dome. My memory failed me here. I remember stopping when I was little with Mema and said group, and it was a tall thing you could climb, and it was the trailhead for the App trail.  We also would go to the RR here.
Weeeeellllllll. Not so much. If you actually go to Clingman's Dome, it is about 10 miles off the road, and when you get up there there are facilities, a store, and trails, with a beautiful view, but not was I remembered.

 When I finally got back down to 441, about a mile later, I saw what I have called "Clingman's Dome" my whole life. I was wrong. It is just a rest stop area just past the road for Clingman's dome...Anyways...
 Next came the tunnel and the curlyQ in the road, and a few minutes later, I finally made it to Gatlinburg.
Gatlinburg will always hold a special place in my heart. I will always regret not taking Mema one more time.

When I was at Clemson, I would come up for the weekend, pick her up, and we would go spend a few nights there together. I cherished those special times with her where I didn't have to share her. I got her undivided attention, and we spent most of the time in the car, sitting on benches, or in the "motel" room, but it was wonderful time. We always ate good.
I had to stop, even though I was running out of time. Then the rain came.
I bought a hat and got my Mickey umbrella out of the car and made it to the Smoky Mountain Candy Kitchen. I got a few things, and walked around for just a few minutes, breathed in the air, took some pics, and got back in the car. I drove from there to Pigeon Forge. My directions from the parking attendant were "Just go left and follow everybody else..." MMMMk....

I got to Pigeon Forge and went to the Apple Barn. I bought some wine and all of the other stores were closed so no Apple Butter this trip folks. I was really running short on time now, but couldn't resist. Now this is something my Mama Bonnie enjoyed. I went in, said "Party of 1!" and went on in. They sat me right away, and I already knew I wanted Chicken and Dumplins, but that's not all! It was their 25th anniversary. So they had extras and specials. Everyone gets 3 apple fritters with apple butter, a personal size of Vegetable Soup, a salad, your entree and 2 sides, and then she comes out and says what would you like for your dessert??!HOLY MOLY!

 

  I can't remember the last time I shoveled it in. I wasn't going to leave a bit of it. It was the best food I have ever put in my mouth. This little couple next to me got a kick of me having the nerve to come by myself and enjoy that food so much. When I couldn't stuff it in, or decide on dessert, the waitresss said she would surprise me, and came back with one of each. Good Lord.

So I packed it up, got in the car, and drove as fast as I could the rest of the way to I-40 and on to
 Nashville.

I hope you enjoyed my latest best day day. 
I needed it.

 I needed the day of rest and happiness. I needed the Joy.

"Jesus! Lover of my soul!! Jesus! I will never let you go! You've taken me from the firey grave, put my feet up on the rock, and now I know! My savior! My closest friend! I will worship you until the very end!

Love,
Nik

Sometimes when I am in Nashville I feel a little crazy. Here I stand in Walgreens at 11:27 my time, 12:27 home time. I was craving chicken noodle soup and I just finished my assignment that was due tonight. Sometimes you just need a little fresh air.