We started our karate competition season off with a road trip to Franklin, Tennessee for the Middle Tennessee Classic by PROMAC.

While it was awesome to get back into competition mode, make new ones friends from all over the Southeast US; part of the reason we love traveling to tournaments is making these weekends a mini getaway.

After the Middle Tennessee Classic tournament, we spent the rest of the weekend exploring Nashville and visiting our friends at the Gentle Barn Tennessee.

Nashville has so many amazing murals around the city. If you find yourself there, definitely try to visit a few of them. The angel wings were our favorite, and they were so gorgeous in person!

The Gentle Barn Tenneessee holds a special place in my (Melissa’s) heart. Dudley, their three legged cow, played an enormous part in my journey to not eating meat. The sweet animals who still live at the Gentle Barn carry on his legacy at the sanctuary. They serve as amazing ambassadors for kindness to animals everywhere.