I'm sitting in the Nashville International Airport and getting ready to board my first leg of the flight, heading to Budapest, Hungary. I'm excited to have booked this trip last minute and hope to be able to share many photos along the way via Instagram (@nashvegasaudrey).
I didn't "plan" this trip. Budapest, Prague and Vienna have been on my short bucket list for a while, and an acquaintance of mine offered me lodging (then last minute – less than 24 hours before departure- yanked the offer after the ticket was purchased – how rude) if I wanted to book a flight… and I took him up on it when I saw the flight cost was way more inexpensive than I had thought it would be.
Yesterday, I made quick arrangements for my very own cute little studio apartment in Budapest (on the Pest side), that was VERY affordable. Most of the time while traveling in Europe I use booking.com to book hotels, hostels and even apartments/rooms. I've also had luck walking around a city and just finding something on my own! It has a kitchen, wifi (all important these days) and is centrally located to transportation as well as tourist attractions just a short ride away.
I'm debating whether to stay in Budapest for the majority of the trip OR look into the possibility of visiting Vienna, Prague and possibly Krakow too (on my way back to Budapest for my return flight). One of my favorite sites is Seat61.com, because he gives you some great options for connections and allows you to figure out some of the cheapest rail travel possible. This comes in very handy on the fly.
For those of you who don't know me and happen to read this… Travel is a major passion of mine. I love to explore the world and I often do it on my own. Friends and family members have occasionally told me I was "brave" or insinuated that it was risky to travel solo, but I assure you that it's safe and it's very enjoyable! I meet so many more people than I would if I was traveling with a friend because when you're on your own, you have a tendency to be a little bit more open to opportunities and are easily approachable in conversation. You're not on anyone's schedule but your own, so it's very freeing and relaxing.
I'm looking forward to exploring Budapest. On the short list so far are Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge, the thermal baths (multiple ones!) and walking along the Danube River. There's also Gellert Hill Cave which looks really interesting- a church in a cave!
I'll be sure to post more while traveling, but wanted to share that this trip will also be done on a major shoestring budget (remember that I wasn't initially planning on spending ANYTHING on lodging when it was planned), so I'll be sure to keep track of what was spent and share how inexpensively travel to Budapest (and possibly elsewhere) can be.
Every year, CRS (Country Radio Seminars) is a great opportunity to keep in touch with my radio friends far and wide. This year, there was a fantastic event, featuring a multitude of different songwriters and artists at the Ryman Auditorium. I snapped this picture during Josh Turner's performance.
Wednesday's "Team UMG at the Ryman" luncheon featured artists from the Universal Music Group roster. Performing artists included Billy Currington, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, David Nail, Dierks Bentley, Drake White, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kelleigh Bannen, Lady Antebellum, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Mickey Guyton, Randy Montana, Scotty McCreery and Vince Gill. One BIG surprise was a performance by none other than George Strait.
Vince Gill made me cry, when he came out and dedicated "Go Rest High On That Mountain" for the late Mindy McCready. As Vince so eloquently put it, "She was a part of our family, and that matters".
One of my new favorite artists is Kacey Musgraves. Her new album, "Same Trailer, Different Park" is full of great songs. The songwriting is raw and real. She doesn't skirt around unpleasantries. It's a welcome change in today's country scene, as she deals with real issues and speaks to real women. It's relatable music to anyone who's lived beyond college age, but yet mainstream enough to appeal to every country music fan, young and old. My nine year old, who knows of my affinity for the album, made a comment to me after I was singing along to the radio when they played "Merry Go Round".
"But it's such a sad song. Why do you like such a sad song"?
"Because it's real music about real life. There's a lot of good in the world, but there's also a lot of sadness. I like her voice and I like how she makes even the sadness sound pretty".
Her response, "Oh", then thinking about it for a moment as the song played on, "I guess you're right".
Another stand-out for me was a songwriter named Erik Dylan. He sang one of his songs, "Funerals and Football Games". I'm calling it now, that song is a number one just waiting to hit the airwaves!
I just keep hoping he'll be back to Nashville soon.