Weekend Wrap-up

Friday, I left UT Martin and headed down the road to Millington,Tennessee.
This weekend I stayed with Jenna's, the Vice President, family. It was so great to stay in a home that felt like my home. It was so refreshing to have a family dinner and talk about things other than the "Z-word". Her parents took me in and spoiled me with a home-cooked meal of fried catfish that Jenna's father had caught! Yum!

After dinner the President, Hailee, met us at Jenna's and we got to work on giant letters for recruitment. This is the cool thing about my job. You never know where you will be or what you will be working on. This night I got to hang out in Millington, Tennessee and got to hear about the lives of Hailee and Jenna. I love it.

We stayed up late working which meant we slept in late. I did not complain.

Saturday was football day. And nothing made me happier than seeing Jenna's parents and brother getting ready for a day of college football. It was the perfect fall Saturday. The air was crisp, which was a huge change from the 90 degree weather we had been experiencing. The grill was smoking and the sweet sweet words of "Roll Tide" were coming from one of their family friend's Mr. Johnny.

We watched the game, got pedicures, and then...wait for it...

Yep, Jenna took me to Millington's Goat Days. A festival dedicated to...goats.
When we pulled up, I did a double take because a little girl was walking her goat on a leash.
 Let me repeat, goat on a leash.

 I love little gems like this. When else in my life would I have gotten to go to "Goat Days"??

Fun Fact: Justin Timberlake is from Millington.

Fun Fact: I might be a creeper.

I made Jenna drive me to his parent's house.

This is his driveway. It is the best picture I could get because the house is mostly covered by trees.
But, by golly, I saw Justin Timberlake's house!

After that Jenna was shocked I had never been on a 4-wheeler. So, she grabbed me, ran me to the shed and before I knew it we were off.

It was a wonderful weekend in Millington. The weather, the adventures and the people. Just too good.

Martin

Never in my life did I think I would live a month in the small town of Martin, Tennessee.

Life will surprise you, because I just did.

The town of Martin is located in West Tennessee.
2 hours from Memphis.
1 hour from Jackson.
6 miles from the Kentucky State Line.

 It has 11 stop lights total (this includes caution lights), and the landscape of the town is mostly fields of corn and soy beans. It is also home to the annual "Tennessee Soybean Festival".

I arrived in this precious town after a two hour road trip from Memphis, and quickly got to work with the chapter at The University of Tennessee at Martin.

The funny thing about each place I visit is that there are always the same characters in each chapter. I can always pinpoint them...

• There is always the hilarious storyteller-who manages to take a two minute story and expand it into a 15 minute one (but you hang on to every word, and get an ab workout because it is so funny).
• There is always the hard worker. The girl who volunteers for everything. She is the first one there in the morning and the last one to leave.
• The girl who knows all the gossip.
• The sentimental senior.
• The overly excited new member.
• The "Little Miss Sunshine", who you just want to take with you every where you go because her soul just warms you.

As different as each place is, there are always these people. In a way, it helps me. 

It helps me feel like each place is connected. 

It helps me see that this organization I work for continues to seek women with the same values and dreams.

The chapter of UT Martin, found a special place in my heart. 

The first week I was there, they invited me to meet their parents, their grandparents, to come home for family dinners and attend church with them. 

They were genuinely interested in showing me what they call "home" and what they value in life.

It helped me to understand them. 

They taught me about small town life and my southern accent grew tremendously. 

I learned what "back-roading" and "crop-dusting" are.

That judging cattle takes extreme skill and that "rope-pull" is something out of the Hunger Games.

And I giggled every time I saw a tractor driving on the street.

Brittany took me horseback riding!

I ate a fig from Kelsey's backyard.

I saw two monkeys? How that happened I still have no idea...

And I got to see what the Tennessee Soybean Festival was all about.

These girls learned all about me.

They knew, but did not accept my love for Alabama football. Roll Tide!

They mastered the art of the "Hannah" scream.

They learned about my family.

They learned about my friends.

I felt connected here. I loved them and I felt loved in return.

I guess when you spend a month with people, you are bound to connect. And I am so thankful for the month that I spent here.

Things I learned, or am learning:

• Still learning how to communicate effectively
• I've gotten better at balancing my life and their life.
• I have become an animal person...maybe?
• People in small towns have the biggest hearts.

Well, here we go. I'm departin' from UT Martin.