Greetings from Nashville!

Hello All!
I have been in Nashville for 4 days now, 5 if you count last Thursday which was spent in the car all day. Doesn't seem like long to you, but it's been quite awhile already for me. For starters, I did not realize that my little mazda could hold all that stuff. I assumed that since I wasn't hauling any furniture it wouldn't be problem. "Surely a few boxes of books and clothes will easily fit into my car, especially since it's a hatchback." ... We had to throw away a lamp (we broke it while trying to cram it into the back), and drove all 14 hours to Nashville with my karate bo sticking right over my shoulder. Pillows and soft items were shoved into every nook and cranny, and I am proud to say that I managed to limit my shoes to one large tub.
Anyway, Shawn and I are in Nashville. He's here until Thursday, and after that, I'm on my own. On Friday we bought a bed and desk, and then proceeded to assemble the damn thing. I don't think I have ever seen something with so many pieces! The instruction book had 41 steps. But, like the car, we got it done. I also have a bookshelf, which was much easier to assemble than the desk, but still a project in itself.
So now that I am unpacked and my room is fully furnished, on to Nashville itself. The weather here is pretty much the worst of MN- HOT and HUMID. Oh, and rainy. It has rained every day except today. The worst part is that it doesn't stop being hot at night. It is just ALWAYS hot. I didn't really realize how bad it was until I decided to try my walk to campus. It's about a 20 minute walk, which wouldn't be too bad except that when I turn around and realize that the way back is mostly uphill. Needless to say, I will need to get in shape and get used to the heat. On the plus side, August is the worst month for heat, and it only gets better.
According to my roommate, people here are terrified of winter and the entire city shuts down for any snow, so I'm looking forward to that. I will be a seasoned expert when it comes to snow and ice. All the people laughing at me in the heat will be looking to me when it snows. HA. As for my roommate, her name is Teagan. She is really nice. She's working on her PhD in cell biology at Vandy. She's a little neurotic about keeping the condo clean, but hey, that works for me. She studies a lot, and there's not much else to say. I think we'll get along just fine.

Shawn and I have been trying to get acquainted with the city, with our limited budget. No, we have not gone to the Opry. We are students, not tourists. We did go to the life-size replica of the Parthenon though. That was cool; there was a 40 foot tall gold-plated statue of Athena inside. Shawn thought she was creepy; I thought she was pretty awesome. We attempted to eat at the Pancake Pantry for lunch one time, but that didn't happen. Apparently when the internet reviews say it gets "busy", that means a line of 30 people standing outside just waiting to get in, much less waiting for food. We might try again tomorrow when it's not a Saturday. However, we did find a good thing about Nashville that made up for our lack of pancakes- a Krispy Kreme. Farewell diet, Nashville has what MN closed down, and all donut-y goodness is just waiting to be eaten. This does not bode well for stressed-out studying.

So overall, the last 4 days have flown by. I have been super busy buying and assembling furniture, getting acquainted with the area, I got a new phone (because mine broke, AGAIN), and trying to figure out what is where and how to get there. From here on out, I will keep in touch as the year progresses. Orientation is next week and school starts the 22nd, so the real deal starts then. Until then, wish me luck!