Commodore for a Week
*Guest blog by Tina Layton (A.K.A. “Tdog”), best friend from back home and Pho-lover
Through the constant stories that Samantha tells me about her Vandy life, I always pictured Vandy as Narnia in my mind. It seemed like a fantasy world of great friends, great academics, and great extracurriculars in a great city. I never thought that I’d get the chance to actually visit her and see what Nashville is really like since Plano, our hometown, isn’t exactly a neighboring city to Nashville. Luckily, I was able to book a plane ticket to Nashville for Spring Break this year, and I got to enter the wardrobe into this fantasyland.
When I stepped out of the taxi (My first solo taxi experience; I felt so urban!), I officially started my week as a Commodore, as I was greeted by Samantha and Mary Kate in their matching red Texas Rangers shirts outside of their dorm, Vandy-Barnard. As I walked through the campus, it was hard for me to wrap my head around the number of trees and the amount of green. I had never set foot on a campus that was so aesthetically pleasing! I felt like I was walking through Central Park every time I took a stroll. Even the rocks were pretty!
Sleeping arrangements were a bit tight because the single rooms were about 1 square inch (exaggeration), but I had my pick of rooms! I actually got some great sleep on an air mattress on Samantha’s floor the first night and her “taco chair” on my last night. Later, I got to visit Samantha’s favorite hangout spot: the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry). This happens to be the hangout spot for most of her friends, too, so I got to meet them. After hearing story after story about them and becoming virtual friends on Facebook, I felt like I was being reunited with old friends. It was nice to finally be able to put names to faces and to not be completely confused anymore, although it did take me a good part of the week to get the nicknames down that Samantha (AKA the nickname queen) had for all of her pals. It seemed like everyone at Vandy has one main thing they are involved with, and BCM is Samantha’s, so it was also mine for the week! I felt so welcomed by everyone, and the couches there were prime for nap taking. I got to experience their night of worship called The Point, and it was exactly what people needed on Thursday night after a long week of tests and papers. MEMORIES.
I also got a couple chances to explore off campus. My first was in Centennial Park, right across from the Vandy bookstore (which is super nice and a great time-killer if you have nothing to do). The park is big and a nice place to get a game of frisbee going with your friends on a sunny day. It’s also ideal for picnics. Right after visiting the park, we decided to embrace our inner tourist and go to Loveless Café for lunch. There was a wait, but it was definitely worth it for the fried chicken and family-style meal. My second day of exploration in Nashville involved taking a bus to downtown Nashville with Samantha. As we walked down the strip on Broadway St., there was live music coming out of every bar, and Samantha and I perused several candy shops in amazement. I got to see some Nashville favorites like the Ryman and the Opry building. Oh, and we saw Taylor Swift! Just kidding. I wish.
Vandy became much more realistic to me on my trip. I’m so blessed to have gotten the chance to be a Commodore for a whole week, and I can definitely see why Samantha always has awesome, nonstop stories of all her wonderful adventures. I was sent off with a mini goodbye party at lunch, complete with paper napkin hats made by Mary Kate and Monica. It was hard to leave after such a fun week, but I will definitely be back because Vandy left me wanting more!