Memphis - An independent adventure...

A couple of weeks ago I found myself feeling rather drained and uninspired. I thought it would be good for me to get out of Nashville, even if only for a couple of days. I decided rather spontaneously that I was going to escape to somewhere new, and so I booked a cute AirBnB in Memphis!

I typically know at least one person wherever I am traveling to or else I travel with others, but I wanted to do this completely on my own. I believe its a good and healthy thing to be able to be independent and self-reliant, and to be comfortable with your own company. So I made this trip into a sort of artist retreat - a time to rest and be refreshed, to explore and be inspired by new things, and to push my limits and do something just a little bit uncomfortable.

Memphis is a beautiful, old city. It's filled with so much history, which is one of my favorite things! I love being able to learn the history of places, things and people.
I arrived at my AirBnB home early Friday. My hosts were a young married couple with two loving dogs who I quickly became friends with. My room was the perfect size and had lots of natural light (which definitely played a part in why I booked that place - haha) and my hosts made me feel so very comfortable and at home.







I wanted to get out and do as much as I could before dark (Memphis is a fairly sketchy place with plenty of crime) and headed towards downtown. My first stop was the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. I highly recommend that this be a stop for anyone who visits this city.
















When I finished at the museum I headed downtown for some BBQ. My hosts recommended I check out Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, so I parked and walked down an alley and into the restaurant where I ate some of the best ribs I've ever had! This place started out as an 80 seat tavern that served sandwiches, but it turned into a barbecue legend when the owner discovered the coal chute in the basement of the building. Rendezvous has been around since 1948 and with food that good it will surely stick around for years to come.







After a delicious and filling meal I left the restaurant and walked out into the alley. When I stopped momentarily to tie my shoe I noticed an older gentleman sitting on an upside down pail having a smoke break. I struck up a conversation with him and he told me his name was Robin. He's lived in Memphis his whole life and he loves it! He's been working at Rendezvous for 2 years now. He was so sweet and so kind, and at the end of our conversation I asked him if I could take his picture. He agreed - meet Robin, internet world!




The following photos are shots of my walk downtown and on Beale Street.













The next morning I woke up to light filtering through the shades of my room and the calming sound of rain. I spent a slow morning reading and writing before I got out of bed to get ready for the day. We live in a crazy day and age where we can connect and communicate with strangers via social media. I had discovered a girl on Instagram who lives in Memphis and has a style blog. I reached out to her to see if she'd like to meet up and do some exploring and picture taking and she agreed. We started our Saturday with brunch at a historic little place called the Arcade and spent a couple of hours talking about life, faith, style and photography over mimosas and a huge meal. The rest of the day we walked around the city, popping into cute little shops and pausing every so often to take photos.




This is a mural of one of my favorite pictures taken during the Civil Rights movement. Had to stop and get my picture taken in front of it.



The rest of these photos are of my new friend Morgan. I had such a wonderful day with her! There is so much more to see in Memphis and I cannot wait to go back for another visit!