Sounds of the City

When I started looking for a new place to live in Nashville, I was very concerned with the visual scene when I look outside my front door. This has always been of importance to me. I want to look out my front window and find something of interest. I suppose it feels like what you see when you walk outside your front door is somehow of precursor to the rest of your day. Once I looked at buying a house out in the country near Myrtle Beach. Upon looking at the place, I noticed that right across the street from the house was a robin's egg-blue trailer. It was broken down, busted up...and there was a cage of horses located right next door. There were 3 horses in a tiny space. I immediately decided I didn't want to buy this house- mostly because seeing these sad little horses next to this sad trailer- just didn't feel right.

Another thing that I always am interested in discovering are the sounds of a new home. What sounds do you hear throughout the day and night? Moving to the beach from Charlotte was interesting. My first few weeks in the apartment revolved around my absolute fear of the sound of fireworks. I think I hit the floor the first time I heard these sounds- as this sound is generally reserved for the 4th of July in Charlotte, at the beach, this sound is not reserved, at all.

Since I've been living in this new apartment in Nashville, I've taken stock of the sounds I hear. They are the sounds of living in a city. Apparently, there is a train track nearby. Every so often, throughout the day, I hear the sound of a train passing by. I've always loved the sound of a train passing (a la Paul Simon). This past weekend, I noticed the nearby churches ring their bells around noon. I can also hear the sound of ambulances in the distance and the traffic of a nearby street.

As my body and mind acclimate to a new climate and city, I find these sounds begin to come part of my daily soundtrack.