Walking in Memphis...cliche, I know!

First of all, I've sort of avoided blogging recently because Memphis was exactly what I dreamed it would be and there haven't seemed like adequate words to share with you what the trip was for me. Looking back, I wish we'd set up a Real World: Confessional Cam where Kristen and I could talk about each day. The Kellys really appreciate you following our tweets and thinking we're hilarious. We had a blasty.

What was the point of going?
The main reason for going was because we wanted to take a trip. We both had the itch to get out of town. We also felt like we'd reached a point in our recovery from divorce that we deserved to reclaim a few things. Lucky for Kristen and I, we're pretty much soulmates. We're on the same page with pretty much everything in life. That made it REAL easy to plan and travel together. Also, Kristen's would-be-anniversary was over the weekend we were away and I wanted to celebrate my birthday the way it should've been celebrated. So it was a re-birthday/unniversary celebratory road trip of freedom and independence!

What did you see/do while there?
We made a list of things we wanted to do and places we wanted to eat. We didn't want to plan too much of the trip out, but wanted to have options so we weren't left to recreate the scene from Jungle Book where the buzzards say "Well, what do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" "NOW DON'T START THAT AGAIN!" We hit the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Sun Studios, The Civil Rights Museum, Graceland (for a whopping 15 minutes), Summer Ave (disappointment), Beale Street, and Germantown. We ate some fantastic food at places like Rum Boogie Cafe, Rendezvous BBQ, Hueys, McEwans, and an Italian place that I can't remember but I do remember it being our 3rd attempt at a sit-down dinner. We took time both Friday and Saturday afternoon to sit an an outdoor cafe, once with live music and just have a snack and chill for a bit. We also left about 1-2 hours a day to just relax in our hotel room. (And you know after a year without cable, hotel cable is like Christmas! WHAT UP DISCOVERY CHANNEL!)

You need to know this:
We took pictures with strangers. We made videos. We made a video of our fingers doing a kick-line to a song from Chicago. We talked like the Kellys pretty much 85% of the time.(*please ask for a live, in-person demonstration.)  We sang Lady Gaga's "You and I" twice in a row with the windows down after a fancy dinner. We visited several spots that were in the movie "Elizabethtown" because I am obsessed with it. We slept in every day. We said we were going to split meals and then never did. We pretended to be Beyonce and sang "Love on Top" at least 2-3 times a day. We took a lot of pictures with our phones and very few with cameras. We think Martin Luther King, JR was handsome. We love Memphis and hope to return for a Thunder vs Grizzlies game in the future. Oh, we also only found "real" Memphis when we went to Graceland. The rest of the time, we felt completely safe and not at all in danger of being jumped/pickpocketed/kidnapped. Everyone we talked to was very sweet, hospitable, helpful, and told us we were beautiful and looked very happy. You know the Kellys are always stylin'.

Thoughts/Reflections:
Of course it was nice to be away for 4 days. Of course it was beyond fun to listen to music at a loud volume with the sunroof open and singing at the top of our lungs. Of course it made my heart feel good to laugh to the point of tears over stupid things. The absolute best part of the whole time away was celebrating the milestone of where I stand right this minute as opposed to where I stood 6 months ago. I don't think I stopped smiling from the second we got in the car until we crossed back over the Mississippi into Arkansas to come home. It was one of the best trips I've been on in my life. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that it was mine. It was for me. It wasn't a tag onto an existing trip. It wasn't a business trip. It wasn't to visit anyone. It was to celebrate my life. It was to recognize where I've been and where I am now. It was to embrace happiness. I think I smothered happiness with a big 'ole bear hug and said "It's really great to meet you."

WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?
They're on my computer. They're coming. I promise.


"GOODNIGHT MEMPHIS!" - Sloppy Sober Tour, Fall 2011.