turns out my kid doesn't like nashville....
Last month Violet and I took a girls' trip to Nashville.
One of the biggest goals I have as a mom isn't to buy her more stuff. It isn't to make every moment magical or perfectly planned. It's simply this:
Show her as much of the world as I possibly can.
I was incredibly fortunate to travel growing up, and those experiences shaped how I see people, places, and possibilities. I want that for Violet too. We only get one life, and I don't want either of us to spend it seeing the same four walls.
So far she's been to Australia, California, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas City, Estes Park, Wisconsin Dells, Branson... and now Nashville.
The funny part?
Turns out Broadway at night... is not her thing.
Thousands of people? Hard pass.
Wall-to-wall live music? Also no.
It was one of those parenting moments where you realize your kid isn't a tiny version of you—and that's actually kind of wonderful.
Know what was her favorite part of the entire trip?
A random 16-year-old girl singing Taylor Swift in the food court.
We grabbed our 5th dessert of the day, found a table, and sat there forever listening to songs Violet actually knew. No giant crowds. No sensory overload. Just one incredibly talented teenager with a guitar and a crowd of people quietly enjoying her music.
That was her Nashville.
Mine?
People-watching.
Eating way too much dessert.
Learning more about who my daughter is becoming.
Watching her confidently order food, navigate airports, and experience a city she'd never seen before.
Travel isn't always about checking off attractions. Sometimes it's discovering what you don't like. Sometimes it's finding joy in the completely unexpected.
Those little discoveries are worth every plane ticket.
We booked the entire trip through Costco Travel, and honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Flights, hotel, airport transfers... even a driver waiting for us. It made traveling with a kid ridiculously easy, and I highly recommend it.
As we flew home, I kept thinking about how lucky I am.
Not because we went to Nashville.
Because I get to introduce my daughter to a big world while she's still figuring out where she fits inside it.
Someday she probably won't remember every meal we ate or every street we walked.
But I hope she remembers that adventure was normal.
That curiosity was encouraged.
That her mom thought experiences were worth investing in.
We're all building something with the life we've been given.
For me, I'd rather collect passport stamps, funny stories, and memories with my favorite travel buddy than another thing that will eventually end up in a closet.
Nashville wasn't exactly what either of us expected.
And somehow...
That made it perfect.
