Feb. 14, 2016
We often get asked “How did you end up here, in Nashville?” So Kate suggested we share a little bit about us and tell the story so when people ask, instead of re-telling the story we can just send them the link! Just kidding… I’m not the best story teller but here’s my stab at it.
Once upon a time… Happily residing in sunny California, we were certainly blessed. I was Captain of two local hockey teams, played 2-3 times a week, we were 15 minutes to Laguna Beach, 20 minutes to Disneyland, In-N-Out Burger was everywhere, Anaheim Ducks Hockey games and Fantasy Camp was 20 mins, and it was less than an hour flight to Las Vegas. We lived in Ladera Ranch about 20 minutes from my family and where I grew up and just about 10 minutes from Kate’s parents home, everything was nice. It was sunny and 70.
While we were driving up Crown Valley Parkway, my wife turned to me one day, and just blurted out “What if we moved to Nashville?” I replied with an “Are you nuts?”
Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
So…here we are in Nashville…(insert canned laughter here) and we love it. The schools are some of the best in the nation, the people are friendly, the cost of living is so much more affordable, the seasons are apparent, there’s no shortage of rain (or water) and there’s just something about The South. A peacefulness.
One of the things we found most charming was that when locals discover you are new to the area, their first question is “Do you have a church, yet?” Not only were people taking the time to visit with us, they were genuinely expressing interest in our spiritual well being. This was not something we had ever encountered in California…church was not really spoken of. You knew people went there on Sundays, but no one ever spoke of church OUTSIDE church. Not at least from our experiences, anyway.
Kate feels strongly that God has been directing our steps to Nashville, not just short term, but all the way back to a friend she met her Sophomore year in High School (who would move to Franklin just 10 days before we did). There were little “signs” along the way and even a little skywriting. If you ever want to hear the story there, just ask.
After doing some research on the area, she came across some images on Pinterest of Franklin’s Pumpkinfest and fell in love with the idea of a festival on Main Street in a quaint southern town like Franklin. The scarecrow image, iconic to the PumpkinFest, was one of her favorites. Soon after she discovered the images on Pinterest of the Dicken’s Festival.
She said it all looked so Norman Rockwell and she wanted to raise our kids somewhere like that. She wanted a place that time passed a bit slower, people were friendly and not in so much of rush to get somewhere that they lost the ability to really live and enjoy life.
One of the “signs” or “crumbs” as Kate likes to call them involved Jenna Von Oy, the famous Six from the sitcom Blossom in the early 90’s. Jenna had written a blog about parenting and it was featured on an entertainment website. Kate read it and connected right away with it. Later on, several months later, while we were searching for a realtor to show us homes during our visit to the Nashville area, I sent Kate a link to contact a realtor. Upon receiving the link, Kate gasped and then started to cry. The link I sent her was based solely on the fact that the realtor in question had lived in California and I assumed would be able to relate to us and what we might want since she’d lived there. I had no idea it was Jenna Von Oy, now Jenna Bratcher.
That moment was certainly tipping point for Kate. The coincidence was just too coincidental from her standpoint. Hey, God talks to all of us differently…he reaches us where we ARE. And during that moment, God certainly reached Kate. She likes to joke that she’s thankful God didn’t ask her to go pick up and move somewhere she didn’t want to go….Nashville was somewhere she WANTED to go. So, obedience was easy there.
We have five children: four boys and one girl. Brendan, Cameron, Megan, Nathan and Chase. No pets but we are definitely being tempted to adopt from the Williamson County Animal Shelter. If you don’t know already, they post some seriously adorable dogs and cats who need homes on facebook.
Maybe we’ll adopt one soon, now that all the kids are in school finally. I continue to play ice hockey and captain a team here in Franklin on Sunday nights. Kate is crafty and loves to create things, decorate and entertain. We don’t have any family in the area and that was an adjustment for us. Our home was always the location of holiday dinners and family events.
We are transplants. Kate wishes she’d been born and raised here, though. The culture here is so majestic. It’s almost indescribable. Each fall we have made a tradition of taking the family up to Pigeon Forge and spending the week leading up to Thanksgiving in a cabin we rent there. It’s a great time to just enjoy each other’s company, relax and just be. The views are incredible and we even manage to squeeze in a few laps of go-cart racing, always a family favorite.
This eclectic city is jam packed with fun, entertainment, shopping, and so much more. Whether you’re a family with small children (if you are be sure to check facebook for local Nashville Mom groups), a college student, a young married couple, a single man or woman….there is always something to see and do here. From the shops and dining in 12South to the quaint streets in Downtown Franklin and the beauty of Arrington Vineyards (to name just a few), there is so much to discover and experience.
Looking back to those years in California raising the family, I had no idea what lay ahead. They always say that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And this certainly has been a journey for all of us. One that has changed our life in such positive ways and connected us with a community of locals and transplants living harmoniously together and appreciating all that is Nashville – from the food, to the music, to the history, the sports, and the people. Like I said, there’s just something about The South, and there’s just something about Nashville.
If you or someone you know is considering a move to the Nashville area, give us a call/text or shoot us a quick email. We’d love to give you the full tour (or the condensed one if you prefer) and help find the right house at the best price.
You can visit our website www.thespackmangroup.com to check out the local inventory of homes for sale in Franklin and the Greater Nashville Area. For local area happenings and lifestyle posts, you can follow our blog. You can also stay connected through social media with the links below.
Thanks for letting us share our story with you. – Greg Spackman
The Spackman Group at KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY (Nashville – Franklin)
9175 Carothers Parkway, Suite 110
Franklin, TN 37067
615-778-1818 (Office)
gregspackman@kw.com || 615-939-1252
www.thespackmangroup.com
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