GRACE MONTEROS
The writer is a native of Barangay Bata, Bacolod City. She is currently working as sales coordinator in the hotel industry in Nashville, Tennessee.
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If you were to ask me 10 years ago where I’d be at age 22, I wouldn’t imagine myself stuck at LAX, or the Los Angeles International Airport, with a few bucks in my pocket and without a phone. I was on my way to a city in Tennessee called Chattanooga, a place most people have likely never heard of.
All flights bound to Dallas where I was laying over got cancelled due to flashfloods and I’m left with nothing but holding up my tears and figuring out what to do. After my constant efforts between trying to connect via the internet and figuring how to make a call using a payphone, I became hopeless and terrified.
I sat in there and was just fervently praying that a miracle will happen. A guy named Will sat beside me, and after a brief chat, he offered me to use his phone. I felt a sense of relief and I couldn’t be more thankful to the kind stranger.
Twenty-four hours later, I was still at the airport and probably have met a dozen of people, including Sandra who just came from Maui and after telling her my not-so-pleasant airport experience, gave me a $20 bill.
I felt embarrassed and tried my very best to refuse but she insisted. She told me that despite the series of unfortunate events, the $20 was a reminder that there’s always something good to remember.
It was getting pretty late and after a couple more flight delays I finally set foot in Chattanooga. If you haven’t guessed it already, the city’s name was greatly influenced by Native Americans who were its first settlers.
The buildings in downtown Chattanooga are stout, quite the contrary to what I thought America would look like. Despite the laid-back nature of the town, Chattanooga prides itself as the “scenic city” and has a very rich history back during the Civil War.
The Walnut Bridge, which is my favorite go-to place in downtown area, has a beautiful view of the Tennessee River and if you’re an ice cream junky, would absolutely love the “Ice Cream Shop” waiting for you at the tip of the bridge. You’ll be surprised how this tiny shop can offer 17,000 (yes that’s right) different ice cream flavors.
The adjustment stage in this new city was definitely not easy. I did not have a lot of work experience prior to the big move, so finding a job suitable to my course was the hardest thing. Understanding the southern accent was probably second.
For a couple of months, I settled for a retail job which I was lucky enough to be walking distance from where we live since public transportation was not available. That is apart from the fact that I did not own a car and could not drive. As time went by, things got a lot better and after over a year in the city, the opportunity for another move was presented upon us.
Now I am living in the vibrant city of Nashville, Tennessee – home of many aspiring songwriters and well known as the “Music City” of the country. Nashville’s Broadway alley filled with inviting live music in every corner of downtown, a variety of comfort foods and the southern hospitality of locals have made Nashville an attractive destination for many tourists all over the globe. Seating at the heart of Tennessee, it has also been marked as the business hub of the state hosting numerous sporting events, concerts and conventions.
Nashville has definitely opened up more opportunities for me. I have always enjoyed working for different events even when I was in the Philippines and the hotel industry has paved the way for me to pursue this path.
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For those who expressed concern following the Dec. 25 bombing in downtown Nashville which injured at least 8 persons and damaged dozens of buildings, Grace says they had communication breakdown in the city for two days, but, otherwise, “everything is well”. – NWI
