Megan's 20 Things

20 Random Things I love about Kentucky:

1.  William T Young Library- spent many days and nights in this beautiful library. 

2.  Chevy Chase Starbucks- I absolutely love this area and spent a lot of time at this establishment.

3.  Woodland Arts Festival- lovely little festival

4.  Arboretum Walking Trail- so many mornings and evenings spent strolling this walking trail.

5.  Freeman Lake- one neat thing about Elizabethtown

6.  Bellini's- love their food

7.  AJ's Casuals- super cute clothes

8.  Elizabethtown Swim and Fitness Center- many memories here

9.  Cheapside Bar and Grill- no explanation needed!

10.  Harvey's- their jukebox is dangerous.

11.  McCarthy's Irish Pub- does the guy with the Russian hat still work the door?

12.  White Hall Classroom Building- University of Kentucky

13. Keeneland- no explanation needed.

14.  Charlie Brown's- love their cheese poppers

15.  Churchill Downs- a Kentucky staple

16.  SDF- always excited to go on trips.

17. Elizabethtown Baptist Church- reppin' my hometown!

18.  Common Grounds Coffee House- lovely little nook to study or hang out

19.  Rosebud- so many memories here

 20.  Austin City Saloon- one word: karaoke ... maybe another word: popcorn

Kentucky Weather

Growing up in Kentucky, you were likely to see a thunderstorm one week followed by snow the next. I think these last few weeks of weather have proven to keep up with that wacky standard.

Here in Tennessee we've been seeing similar weather, but my parents keep me informed of the crazy Kentucky happenings, including a tornado warning last week following by a chance of snow the next.
I think there was an old saying that if you didn't like predictable weather, then you should probably move to Kentucky.

I know those of you who have been to Keeneland can attest to this as well. You truly never know what the weather is going to be like for the opening of the spring meet. One year it will be sunny and 78 and the next year it will be 38 degrees and snowing.

For example- me at Keeneland opening weekend in 2007:

Bright! Sunny! Beautiful!

And in 2007 a week later:

Huddled in the back of a car with a coat on because it's so cold!

Do you have any wacky weather stories to share from Kentucky?

A Kentucky Girl In Paris

In the summer of 2005 I spent a semester abroad in Paris, France. I considered myself a traveler of sorts, but I had never set out on a journey completely alone. This was a first for me and I was very excited, nervous, and optimistic all at the same time.

When I arrived in Paris I was immediately on a high from being totally alone in this city of millions. It was such a surreal feeling to travel abroad alone. For this Kentucky girl, it was an amazing experience and one I wouldn't trade for anything.

Here are some things I miss about Paris:

1) The Anonymity: You Kentuckians know how it is; everywhere you go in Kentucky you see someone you know or run into someone who knows someone's cousin who married so and so's best friend. I have to say that the anonymity traveling abroad was an amazing feeling. I could do what I wanted and wear what I wanted without fear that I would run into someone from high school. I would be walking along alone in the city and would think to myself that no one else in the world knows where I am right now. There's something surreal about that feeling.
2) The Croissants: Yes, they are as good as everyone makes them out to be and they cannot be replicated. Every morning I would stop by a local patisserie and get a pain au chocolat and a diet coke. This would be my breakfast on the way to class.

3) The Metro System: Coming from Kentucky I wasn't used to a public transportation system as complex as a subway system. I had to learn the metros and the very confusing color-coded maps, but once I got the hang of it, I was a professional city lady! Looking back on it, it was so easy and convenient to just be able to hop on the metro and travel across the city within minutes.
4) The Eurorail: Again, this is unlike anything even in the United States. Europe has such a complex and amazing Eurorail system. It makes traveling for the weekend super-easy and convenient. We would hop on the Eurorail and take a weekend trip to the coast.

5) The Scenery/Architecture: While Kentucky is beautiful in its own right, the scenery and old world feel in Paris was amazing. I am so fortunate to have taken tons of pictures so that I can keep these memories forever.

In Photos: Governor's Mansion Christmas

Kentucky Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Kentucky Places: Shaker Village

When I was in the fifth grade, we took a field trip to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. I can still remember the village like it was yesterday.
Shaker Village is located in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, which is about 45 minutes from Lexington, Kentucky.
Shaker Village is an original Shaker Religious Community that was active from 1805 to 1910. It is now a preserved National Historic Landmark.
The Village has a Living History museum where you can watch craftspeople display broom making, woodworking, spinning, and weaving.

In Photos: The Castle

The drive from Elizabethtown to Lexington always took me past the famous "castle" in Versailles, Kentucky, right outside of Lexington. I always thought this castle was a beautiful landmark. It caught on fire, but was rebuilt and turned into a hotel and tourist attraction.

Elizabethtown: The Movie

I was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. After my senior in high school, all of the buzz was that this big Hollywood movie was going to be filmed in our town. Everyone got really excited as the preparations drew closer for the filming to begin. I had several friends that even auditioned and were cast to be "extras" in the film. One of them got to meet Orlando Bloom. Yummy!

The movie came out in 2005 and it was such a big deal for Kentucky and our town. They had a special premiere that locals were allowed to attend. I personally chose to wait and see the movie on DVD as I am not much of a movie-goer.

I had a couple of bones to pick after finally seeing the movie. First of all, they filmed maybe 1 or 2 scenes in our actual city while everything else was filmed in Versailles (nearly 2 hours away) and Louisville (about 40 miles away). Hello- isn't the movie called Elizabethtown? Apparently our city was too "modernly updated" for what they wanted to film. Second, the movie portrays our town as a small backwoods town. Again, we have a population of nearly 30,000 and the vibe portrayed in the movie is just a bit off.

While I'm glad the movie brought attention to the ole E-town, I have to say it wasn't one of my favorites. Have you all seen the movie? What did you think?