As I am already midway through month 4 in Memphis, I figured it was time to give you a glimpse of my life here. While Memphis is slightly less exotic than Dubai, there are still so many things to do and places to explore. The winter weather when I arrived admittedly hampered some of my planned activities…in February and March Memphis had freezing rain, regular rain, ice, and even snow multiple times which is RARE for Memphis and makes for a difficult situation given that roads are not treated or salted. I guess the weather was really just forcing me to stay in and make sure everything was unpacked and settled into my new place. Snow days also resulted in a ridiculous amount of cooking…can we say obsessed with having my kitchen stuff back??!!
As the weather improved, the festival season started in Memphis and there have been loads of festivals and community events. The main festival of the year is Memphis in May, which lasts most of the month of May and make memories that last all year. (It’s one of those events that you don’t want to move to a city the day after it’s over because it will remain the topic of conversation for months.) The first weekend was the 3-day Beale Street Music Festival and the third weekend was the World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest aka BBQ Fest. So. Much. Fun.
Memphis Grizzlies game!
Sunset on the Mississippi looking toward Arkansas
View from the top of the Cadillac Grillz tent of BBQ Fest
Here are some of the highlights…
- Southern hospitality…it’s a beautiful thing y’all. You can talk to people while in the checkout line at the store and it’s completely normal 🙂 There are lots of “Please” “Thank you” to be heard and doors held open for people.
- Several fantastic Memphis restaurants have been visited thanks to the guidance of old and new friends taking me to their favorites: The Half Shell, Broadway Pizza, Hog and Hominy, Bounty on Broad, Babalu, Sakura, and others.
- I have found the volleyball crowd…and they are great, woohoo! It’s been a fun spring and start to summer of playing in the sand!
- Am now in possession of a TN driver’s license…the third state from which I have had a license (even though this was my 7th move in 9 years, whew).
- My sweet, sweet dog is thoroughly enjoying his new yard 🙂
Not-so-high points (because it’s only fair to admit those as well)…
- Air travel in February…seriously it’s the worst month to travel. Maybe next year I will institute a new personal policy of leaving the USA for the month of February (just like all of Europe stops working for all of August) and going to an island with guaranteed sunshine and beautiful beaches…and two pina coladas at all times…one for each hand.
- I haven’t been to Graceland yet…I know, I know. It’s still on the bucket list!
Ginger update…there are loads here! Not surprising, but wanted to make sure I noted that there are plenty of redheads, male and female.
Happy summer everyone!
agingerinthesand 
Glad to see you’re settling in and having a ball! ~ Laurel
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