I have some exciting news to share! Remember when I took the Nashville Running Tours historic Nashville tour in February? And I had such a great time that I’m still writing about it?

Well, they offered me a job as a running tour guide!

I owe it all to my friend Chuck, who has put in so many kind words for me over the course of our friendship I can never repay him. I owe him big time!

Chuck took me on a training run this past Monday. This time, instead of simply enjoying the experience, I was struggling to take notes while running. Chuck is a funny guy and incorporates jokes into his tour. Although he generously offered to share his material, I’m not a great joke teller and quickly realized there is no way my delivery could match his. I’ll have to make my tour truly my own.

How am I going to do that?

I thought back to our anniversary trip to New Orleans and it occurred to me that what really elevates a visitor’s experience is a personal connection to the place they’re visiting. Hopefully I can make that personal connection with the visitors to my adoptive city. I love Nashville and can’t wait to share that love.

Don’t worry, I’m still keeping the day job. I had to get my part-time gig approved by the powers that be at the office. They said they thought it was a great opportunity and sounded like a lot of fun. And, of course, Richard and I talked it over. Knowing my loves of history, running and talking, he was super supportive.

I can’t wait to tell my mother, a retired schoolteacher. I know she’ll be thrilled and will remind me of the time she took us to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Charlottesvile, Virginia. I was in 4th grade and learning about Jefferson in school. My mother said I knew more about Monticello than the tour guide. Looking back I’m certain I annoyed the daylights out of the other visitors and the tour guide, but Mom was proud.

So, in addition to celebrating the 4th of July by running a 5K this morning (decked out in my red tutu), I’m studying up on my Nashville/Tennessee/American history today. What could be more American than studying up on Tennessee Presidents Jackson, Polk and Johnson and other fascinating historical factoids?

I can’t wait!