Success Stories and Cranberry Aioli

I spent last weekend in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was technically my Christmas present.

Spending time with no obligations is a pretty freeing feeling. As the museum lover that I am, even without obligations, I gladly chose to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

It was truly a museum of success stories. Every single performer, songwriter, or musician featured in the museum was a wild success. And you know what? I didn’t once read in the description that the person featured had gotten to where they were because “he was so talented, he just picked up a guitar one evening and an agent signed him on the spot” or because “the record deal just landed in her lap.” Nope. Not even once.

Every single person, even some who may have been oozing with natural talent, was described as having worked really hard. They were disciplined and many were turned down multiple times before becoming a huge success. They practiced their craft (singing, playing, writing, etc.) nearly nonstop. Their success was earned through the diligent process of hard work, not through some amazing gift of talent or sheer luck. I’m not saying they weren’t talented. I’m just saying that even some of the most talented people in the world had to work really hard to get as good as they are.

Talent + Hard Work is a pretty unstoppable combination. This was clear in the singer/songwriter performance that we got to see at The Listening Room Cafe.

The talent on that stage was undeniable but it was also clear that all three performers had worked ridiculously hard to get to where they were. My accompaniment to the excellent music that night was the Turkey Apple Crisp Sandwich. This sandwich might warrant another trip to Nashville all by itself. It involved some sort of cranberry aioli which I will undoubtedly be trying to recreate in the near future. Sweet + Savory for the win. Then there was a “The Dolly” sangria (not pictured) which included a sprig of thyme and was equal parts sweet, delicious, and interesting. To put it plainly, the food and drink were fantastic and the singers blew me away. I definitely recommend it if you’re in Nashville.

We had a marvelous trip exploring a new city and just spending time together. We even managed to trick a few friends into thinking we had gone to Greece after posting this photo with the life-size Parthenon replica.