Burgess Falls State Park is one of Middle Tennessee's shorter hiking loops, and one of its more popular parks. There are multiple lots for parking your car, but beware! They fill up quickly during the holidays and on weekends, so you'll want to get to Burgess Falls early. There is an ADA-accessible area, a playground for the kids, and clean bathrooms. It's a great place to bring the family for a picnic and quick hike!

   There is also a nearby RV park, so my friends who are planning on taking their new rig out for a test run, this may be an excellent choice! Down the road lies a beautiful Farm to Table restaurant and store, where you can grab a bite, or take home some farm-fresh milk or locally made ice cream. 

   The hiking loop itself isn't ADA Accessible, unfortunately. It's a beautiful space for an afternoon hike, and for my friends with weak knees it's pretty friendly (though I will not that the trail is on an incline, and there is a section with lots of steep-ish stairs, so if you need a brace it may be helpful). The loop is shorter, I think it's 2 and a half miles, and is a perfect hike for beginners.

   My favorite way to hike the Burgess Falls loop  is to go counterclockwise (like I do most of my hikes). Leisurely climbing a gravel hill and stopping by the interesting flora along the side of the trail warms up your muscles without a lot of demand on them. There seems to always be a new plant or bug to discover on my hikes, and this hike was definitely a mushroom hike. Once you start to descend into the ravine, your gravel hiking trail turns to a well-kept forest trail, and your surroundings become hushed and verdant. Keep an eye out in the plants that kiss the side of the trail, there are plenty of native wildflowers and mushrooms to discover. 

​    My first time hiking Burgess Falls, I was delighted to find that there's not just views of one waterfall, but 2! You'll find that after exploring the big falls, you'll come across a smaller waterfall just up the trail on your way back. It's a beautiful spot to take a rest, and is usually less busy than the big falls overlook (so if you're wanting pictures with the waterfall, it's a great spot!). Hiking further will bring you down the stairs of doom, and across a beautiful bridge.

   I don't want to spoil the whole loop for you, so I'll leave it there. There are lots of beautiful surprises on the trail, and even though the loop itself is short, it's a very rewarding hike without it being too strenuous. 

   Friend, I hope that in these tumultuous times, you find the space to get outdoors. Connecting with the world around us, without the distraction of our favorite little rectangular obsession, is so, so important for your mental health. I hope that you can step out and linger-even just for an extra moment. 

   I'll be trying my best to, too. 

Thanks for reading, Friend. I'm glad you're here. 

   It has been awhile, Friend. I lay in bed here in the late evening, and can't help but feel nostalgia for the recent past. It seems like May flew by as quickly as it approached, and in its wake I feel the aftershocks of a productive month.

   Now that I am preparing for my second serious audition season as an emerging artist (post-grad school, but not quite seasoned opera singer), it seems as though summer will be much more full than expected. One of my favorite things about summer is getting to perform more frequently in outreach concerts around the Nashville area with the Nashville Opera. Getting to sing in general in public has always seemed like such a huge honor (and more recently, a whole lot of fun), and singing more frequently has ignited such a light in my life. 

   Next month marks 2 years since I left my life & marriage in New Orleans, and even though I've met this many wonderful people, and had this many experiences, I can't shake the feeling that I'm still suspended in cosmic goo, unable to move on with my life. 

These next few months are crucial. Despite how draining my schedule is, I am excited to see where my hard work takes me. I am...feeling very thankful to know the people I do, recently. When you grow up, the people you include in your life are so important, and I seem to have met the most wonderful people alive. Through my hardships, they sit and love me, they understand me, and they meet me with joy. My darling, darling friends, you are truly the most extraordinary. I feel so privileged to be included in your life, and you in mine. 

I am slowly dragging myself into a daily movement routine, again. I've been ill on and off for a couple of months, but starting to move again has really made a difference in my life. Between yoga, Pilates, hiking, and the occasional ballroom dance (some of the members of the dance club I work at have started asking me to dance), I am thoroughly enjoying being active.

   The way my body is slowly waking again, amidst all the chaos and heartbreak of navigating finding a new place, the job market, and creating (not to mention the state of the world currently), is scary and lonely and hopeful. Despite how life seems to constantly beat us down, sometimes...sometimes it's not so bad. 

Darling friend, I hope that you find something to feel hopeful for. Even if the very thought of hope makes you tingle with fear, I hope you continue to try and hope for something, despite it all. 

I hope that this is the beginning. For all of us.