Like a good neighbor

On March 2 all of us were hunkered down in basements and bathtubs in anticipation of the frightening storms that were forecast to blow through Southern Indiana and Kentucky.  Thankfully the storms were kind to Louisville, but by the time I left my shift in the pediatric emergency room, we were already seeing the aftermath of the deadly tornadoes that struck Henryville, IN and countless other small towns.  

I rolled the windows down for a balmy 70 degree ride home.  There wasn't a scratch on the town.  But some of my co-workers weren't so lucky.  Just 30 minutes down the road, their homes had their roofs blown off and their windows busted out by the tornadoes.  And just when you think things can't get any worse... Two days later, it snowed.  The snow melted only to be replaced with days of rain.  The residents of Henryville were told to collect their possessions and get out of town because looters would be coming in the following days and it wasn't safe to stay.  One of my nurses had her son and husband in one town and her mother in another.  It's one thing to read about natural disasters on the news, but it's quite another when it's your neighbors and colleagues.

So when they started a drive to collect basic essentials for the victims I ransacked my house and came up with what I could.  If I hadn't used it since moving to Lou then someone else needed it more than I did.  Then I made a Target run and broke my budget on more must-haves: dog food, toothpaste, shampoo, deo, TP.  I won't miss a meal from spending too much and hopefully I'm in good company of people that have opened their hearts and their closets for their neighbors.  

Also, many many thanks to my parents who could not be physically present (although I'd love to clean out their house for charity!) but gave a very generous donation to Kosair Children's Hospital as we are the only regional pediatric level I trauma center.  

It will take a long time to recover from this disaster, but there's nothing like a crisis to bring a community together.

Click here for ways that Townies and Out-of-Townies can donate time, strength, and dollars to the relief efforts.

Onward and Upward

What are you doing with your life?  What do you want?  Where do you want to be?
Kel, my soul mate, gave me that gut check on December 17.  It had been a rough fall and it was not getting any easier.  I love my job, but why am I staying in Louisville?  If you're not happy with your life then make a change, she told me.  There are so many awesome things going on with our generation in this country-- you need to be a part of them!  It was that day that I decided that I needed to work on being happy... starting with moving on to a new chapter in my life.

Now, two months later, I have found some lost pieces of Becky-ness.  Likewise, I have landed a job in Washington D.C. that will start next summer!  Let me rephrase: I'M MOVING TO WASHINGTON D.C.!!!!!  Not only is this the opportunity to work in a bigger institution with my beloved Emergency Department patients, but I get to live in a vibrant young city with my best friends and be closer to my family.  Win-win-win!

Don't get me wrong, Louisville is a great place for couples or people that grew up there.  It's not so great for a single twenty-something girl with no community and an irregular work schedule.  Washington D.C. is a mecca for yo po's that are ambitious, smart, and fun.  I'll have my oldest friend and college besties at my fingertips and a community of friends that is ready to welcome me to town.

I am very thankful for my time in Lou because this was my catapult into the real world outside of my hometown bubble.  It takes courage and independence to branch out on your own-- something I had never done completely before.  Sure I'm an adventure fanatic, but it takes a different kind of gusto to spread your wings and leave the nest, not knowing whether you will fly or fall.  Lou has shown me that I can fly and that there's a big, wide, beautiful world out there that I want to see more of before settling down.  Though I'm certainly looking forward to being closer to the nest and my mama and papa bird.  I have not "checked out" of Lou yet and am still very invested in my time here.  I just found a Yo Po group through a friend of a friend and I'm hoping for an exciting spring filled with outdoor play, music, and Derby.

Rest assured, I'm not running from problems, but I am setting myself up for a successful career and fulfilling social/family life.  Hindsight is invaluable as it shows me how my journey through life, in its highs and lows, takes me from one step to another.  One phase could not be accomplished without the piece before it.  From sorrow breeds new life and happiness.  Most of all, it shows me that I am capable of making changes that will bring me a better tomorrow.

Man oh man

Louisville was just named The Manliest Town in America by GQ Magazine [insert grunt, scratch, and upward nod here].  I knew Lou would beat out Key West and LA but there is pretty stiff competition against Chicago, Boston, and Detroit (err maybe they're just more gangsta).

But the argument that true gentlemen know baseball, bourbon, and betting made perfect sense.  The article highlights all of my favorite places in Lou:
-21c museum & hotel/Proof
-The Brown Hotel
-Louisville Slugger Museum (confession, I have never been)
-Garage Bar
-Please & Thank You
-Churchill Downs
-Meat
-The Bourbon Trail (again, I have never been but it's on my short list)

It's nice to see that the epitome of men's essence, GQ, has acknowledged that Louisville is greater than its history and the proof is in the city-- art, food, drink, culture.  The sweet Southern style of Louisville is not a front-- Lou's are all about hospitality, taking it slow (except when it comes to racing) and enjoying the moment.  To our testament, I will say that Louisville has some pretty classy ladies that could teach the men a thing or two.

The gentlemen of Louisville know how to compliment a woman—and do so often.

The Carolina Way

“The Carolina Way”: words we understand so well, they often don’t require defining. These words, first coined by beloved Coach Dean Smith, reflect the spirit of this University—excellence with integrity and heart. These words influence each of us—students, alumni, faculty and friends—and more than anything else bind us to this place and to each other. 

Roadmap Home

1. Travel back toward Dixie!
2. Follow your heart
3. Go until you can smell the tobacco and taste Duke's tears of defeat!

The Moth

Among my favorite podcasts  is The Moth-- true stories told live.  I listen to these stories, narratives from typical Americans, wondering how their lives became so interesting that they ended up nationally broadcasted on NPR.  Then I realized that The Moth is a contest of everyday citizens, telling stories in Louisville every month.  I went with my buddy Drew to Headliners and we sat in the "moth pit" while the storytellers dished about this month's theme: FIRSTS.

From first trips to the urologist, to baby daddy tales, bourbon binges, and climbing mountains, the heroes of the night were plain old people, just brave enough to tell their tales in front of a critical audience.  In between tales the MC reads anonymous blurbs about the evening's theme.  Tonight's request was "tell us about your first kiss, your first car, or your first job."  Mine was read in the first set:

On my first day of nursing school I was supposed to ask my patients about their physical health.  After asking my patient about his exercise routine and lecturing him about the importance of physical activity when he told me he didn't walk, I pulled back the covers, only to discover that he had a bilateral knee amputation.  Oops.

I loved the whole night!  I can't wait to go back.  There is an equation that goes into a good story and although I haven't quite figured out what it is, I am excited to go again to hear the stories of my neighbors.

Themes for Louisville's Moth:
February- Love Hurts
March- Resourcefulness
April- Duped
May- Revenge

Yelp!

I attended the "soft" opening/whiskey & beer back tasting party at Haymarket Whiskey on Market tonight sponsored by my friend Rachel and Yelp of Louisville.  We sampled 3 local whiskey/bourbons (for those who don't know, whiskey/bourbon is like rectangles/squares... all bourbon (squares) is whiskey (rectangles), but not all whiskey is bourbon.) paired with local beers.

As with any grand opening there was tons of swag to give away.  I lucked out with a t-shirt that says "The kind of turkey you want at Thanksgiving: Wild Turkey".

We finished the night with a local's game of name-that-place.  Each with a post-it on our heads of a local destination, we could ask one question and guess the location.  Here's how my questions went:
1. Am I a place you can eat/drink?  Er...yes, no, well kind of, yes.
2. Am I an athletic venue? No.
3. Can you stay with me? Yes!
AM I 21c HOTEL/MUSEUM?!?!  YES!!!
... And then I won $50 to Avalon!  Whoop!

Haymarket Whiskey will be a great place downtown to see small bands and convene in the early evening for a drink and to catch up with friends.  With lots of potential and an owner with big sights for the future, Haymarket needs only to expand its clientele.

Address	331 E. Market St., Louisville, KY 40202 · Get Directions
Phone	1 502.442.0523
Website	Add Website
Status	Open until 2:00 am.
Hours	Mon - Sun: 4:20 pm - 2:00 am