Nashville

Before leaving Nashville, I'd booked a rental car to drive myself to Atlanta. This was my first time driving solo in the US, and since I'm used to driving on the left in Singapore, I was honestly a bit nervous. Luckily, with Gemini's help, I figured out the whole car rental process — online check-in, necessary insurance — and picked up the car smoothly at Nashville airport. The car was in great condition. I even took a photo of the dashboard and had Gemini check it over. Everything checked out fine. Right out of the parking lot, I was on the highway. Honestly, I hadn't even figured out where the volume knob or the AC controls were before I was already merging onto the freeway. On top of that, I had to nervously adjust to driving on the right side of the road (opposite of what I'm used to). After about 50 km of driving, I decided to pull over and properly figure out all the buttons in the car. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the hotel breakfast, so I figured I'd get off the highway and have a proper brunch instead. So I asked Gemini, and it firmly recommended this small town. I drove another 50 km, exited the highway, and arrived at this beautifully faded old town. Without hesitation, I pushed open the paint-chipped wooden door of Bell Buckle Cafe. Wow, there were so many people dining inside. After discussing with Gemini, I went with the Chicken Salad Croissant — the signature light bite of this American country café. The owner noticed this unexpected visitor and came over to greet me. I even took a selfie with her. This little town is so quiet, tucked away 20 km down a country road after you exit the highway.

Just landed at Nashville airport and already, country singers were strumming their guitars and singing right there in the terminal restaurant. That soulful, twangy music instantly added a whole new layer of color to the city's reputation as "Music City." Nashville really lives up to the name!