Ten Rules for Returning from Your Time in Africa

Rule #1: Do not eat three ice cream cones and one deep dish pizza on your first day back in America, no matter how much you profess to adore milk products. You will experience dairy overload and want to die.

Rule #2: Do not be a dummy. Do not wash your face with cold water. The hot water is there for a reason. Use it!

Rule #3: Do not cry when you open your luggage and everything smells like stale body odor and humidity, including the stuffed animal you so childishly took with you on your trip. It'll come out or you'll throw it out.

Rule #4: If you forget why America is great, just follow the signs:

Rule #5: Do not worry when you can't peel yourself off the couch on your first day back. This is not depression or a failure to adjust appropriately. It's simple indulgence and relaxation; much deserved after your long travels.

Rule #6: When you go to the grocery store for the first time, honor the 12 Days of American Foods song in your shopping list: 12 cereal boxes, 11 bags of candy, 10 things of Goldfish, 9 Tombstone pizzas, 8 fresh veggies, 7 pints of ice cream, 6 mac&cheeses, 5 chocolate cakes, 4 Chips Ahoy, 3 cheese wheels, 2 brownie mixes, and a box of double stuffed Oreos.

Rule #7: Do not drive on the left side of the road.

Rule #8: Text your friends all.the.freaking.time just because you can.

Rule #9: Turn off your alarm and hunker down in your snuggly familiar bed for more hours than necessary.

Rule #10: Do not worry about remembering why you have the greatest friends. Hopefully, they've already got that covered.

PSA: Blog Glitches

It recently got back to me that the last layout on my blog was hard to use and nearly impossible to comment on. Well why didn't you tell me sooner?!

Despite the slickness of the last layout, I'm going back to simpler times. Times of older Blogger layouts and their clunky familiarity. Because I have to admit, I love when people comment on the blog. I cherish your hearts & responses & hilarity more than a sleek template.

So comment away, dear readers! And be quicker to let me know if this thing becomes glitchy again.

Glenview in a Day

A ten hour layover in Chicago afforded me the opportunity to spend a day in my hometown suburb of Glenview, IL. What does one do when one has to cram all the best things of this town into one day?

1. Have tea time with Nanny and talk about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

2. Entice your dogs with some tunes on the keys.

3. Eat a whole bowl of M&M's.

4. Giordano's deep dish pizza. Hands down best in Chicagoland.

5. Chocolate cake.

6. Homer's mint chip ice cream.

7. Dairy Bar. Chocolate dipped in milk chocolate.

8. Dip my toes in the waters of the great Lake Michigan.

9. Lay on the sandy beach.

10. Swap international travel stories with Jenny.

(11. Hang out with Bobby McGee, but not this time because he had better things to do...like inspiring the youth of America.)

Thriving

"I might even grow accustomed to the storm of car horns and vendors. Can there be anywhere else in the world that is such an assault on the senses? Those who know the country though just go about their business. But nothing can prepare the uninitiated for this riot of noise and color - the heat, the motion, the perpetual teeming crowds...Initially, you're overwhelmed, but gradually you realize it's like a wave: resist, and you'll be knocked over; dive into it, and you'll swim out the other side. This is a new and different world. The challenge is to cope with it, and not just cope, but thrive."

Evelyn in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," a brilliant movie I just watched on my flight from Entebbe to London. Even if it's about India, I think it applies to Africa as well. 

Chapati

A brief haiku ode to chapati, my one true African love:

Chapati, you thief

You've stolen my heart and soul

Yum, doughy goodness.

Fresh off the hot coals

My tummy bulging with joy

Get in my belly.

Back home we don't know

Cheap joys of daily fried dough

We should, don't you think?

Big Sky

Afternoon sky over Lake Victoria

I've made it my mission to get more people to look at the sky in Africa. I keep trying to explain to our mzungu kids here that the sky is SO MUCH BETTER in Uganda than in America. They're unconvinced. Despite living in Uganda for three years, they still think America is the awesomest. They make fun of me by saying, "if I had a dollar for every time you talked about the sky, I'd be RICH." I'm going into debt here...

Seriously, though. The sky is bigger. The clouds are fluffier and far more numerous. The blue is bluer. The air is cleaner. The sunsets are richer. The sunrises are brighter. The rainstorms are wider. The lightning is scarier. The thunder is deeper. The rainbows are more vibrant. The moon is rounder. The stars are twinklier. The sky is wider, higher, longer, deeper.

I know I blogged about the sky so many times in Namibia. But "so many times" isn't enough. The sky reminds me of how wide, how high, how long, and how deep is the love of our Lord. He created each millimeter of this sky and STILL cares about me? He knows each star in the sky - even in the cloud that is the Milky Way - and STILL knows the hairs on my head?

Unreal. I can't begin to understand it, but I bask in the reminder of His power when I look to the African sky.

Africa is Alive

Africa is so alive.

The singeing smell of diesel fuel settling along the paved roads. Dense body odor filling the packed markets. Unpredictable and startling bumps along uneven dirt roads. The tinny sound of steady African beats emanating from cheap cell phones. The heavy scent of "Africa" on your body when you return home after a long day. Laughter and screams from the small kids down the road. Long, studied greetings about the day, family, and life. Lively Bantu conversations taking place all around you. The surprise sighting of other wazungu. Cows, birds, chickens, roosters, goats, and dogs as your alarm clock. The smell of burning grass and garbage floating through the evening air. The inexplicably huge sky. The oily sweet taste of fried dough. The comforting protection of a mosquito net. The ambivalence towards big bugs. The satisfaction of a cold shower after a hot day. Small African hands caressing your fascinating white ones. Sweet fresh fruit. Hot spicy tea. The musty dampness of the backseat of a taxi. The distant claps and songs of friends after dark. The burst of magenta and indigo and orange minutes after the sun dips below the horizon.

What do these make you feel? Oddly enough, my reaction and response has been different on every trip.

There's a FLEA in My Toe!

For the first time, I've had the "privilege" a Know Think Act need first hand when I found a chigoe flea festering in my own big toe this week.

Here in Uganda, most people call these parasite "jiggers." Last week, I thought I simply had a small splinter underneath the joint of my big toe and left it alone. However, after lots of discomfort, I checked again and found a big ol' black bubble in the same spot. No doubt about it - I had a jigger. I had likely contracted it when I was in the rural village of Kyakayombya assisting with handing over the well that I blogged about last week.

Jiggers are usually found in dusty areas. They burrow in your feet, grow and lay eggs, and then those eggs continue to fester and drop to the ground. Unfortunately, they can become infected easily and can cause severe damage to your feet if left untreated. Many people in East Africa contract jiggers because they are walking around barefoot or with flimsy shoes that do not adequately protect their feet. Children may also get jiggers that burrow in their hands because they play on the ground so often.

My jigger had grown quite a bit so getting it out was a painful process of lancing the wound and squeezing the jigger out completely. They get very long as they grow. I nearly lost my stomach and all the color in my face as I saw millimeter after millimeter of jigger coming out of my toe.

The start of jigger diggin'

Here in Uganda, we've joked about how I must need to bathe more (I'm bathing everyday in Uganda, by the way...unlike twice a week in Namibia), but jiggers are pesky parasites that don't simply slough off with a good foot scrubbing.

While I had access to adequate resources and medical care in order to remove the jigger and keep the area sterile, many people here do not. They may lack money for treatment or live too far away from a medical clinic. They may not understand the consequences of jiggers and thus leave them untreated. My jigger was awful enough - I can't imagine having countless festering jiggers burrowed in my feet like many children and adults here do.

So, in honor of TIA Tuesdays:

Digging a festering jigger out of my foot. TIA.

Living Waters Flow

Yesterday, I had the humbling privilege of handing over another well that was funded by Global Support Mission. Along with a team of Ugandan leaders from Bringing Hope to the Family, we went to a small village an hour outside of Kaihura (which is already a small, unmapped village) to dedicate a new well to the community of Kyakayombya.

The well they had been using was located at the bottom of a steep valley and looked like this:

It was full of mud, bugs, bacteria, plants, diseases, and rainwater runoff from nearby hills where cattle and goats had defecated. Clearly, it's unsuitable for consumption - but it was being consumed nonetheless.

Bringing Hope to the Family partnered with this community to build a new fresh water well just yards away from this old one. Today, we handed over the well to community leaders. I had the privilege of unlocking the well and washing my hands in its first pump of fresh water. Several women including a small girl brought jerrycans to fill from the new well.

What a reminder of the fresh Living water of Christ that we so desperately need in our lives. Though the contrast between stagnant water and Living water is not as noticeable as the two wells today, it reminds me of the filth we live in when our hearts are not turned towards Christ, and of just how vital and reviving the fresh streams of His grace are.

How encouraging it is to see local leaders passing their skills, knowledge, and motivation to other local leaders to enact sustainable change in their communities. Praise the Lord!

Breathe

I once heard “selah” described as breathing and especially love that image alongside Psalm 46. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Even as the waters rise and the mountains fall, breathe. Even as fear seeks to overwhelm you, breathe. Even as nations crumble, breathe. Even as He is exalted, breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains shake with their surging. [though the isolation creeps in, and the emotions seek to overwhelm me; though I’m surrounded by reminders of brokenness and fail to be brave anymore.]

Selah.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not fall. God will help her at break of day. Nations crumble and kingdoms fall, he lifts his voice, the earth melts. [see His almighty power over the earth.] The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah.

Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shield with fire. [He is strong.] Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah.

What am I DOING Here?

Don't worry...I'm not asking that question too often. But many of you have been!

Remember the organization I work for? As the International Volunteer Coordinator for Global Support Mission, it's become increasingly important for me to actually know and experience the work being done on the ground in Uganda before I send volunteers and teams to the area. When people ask you about the actual conditions of the squatty potty, you'd better be able to speak from personal experience!

I'm spending the next month in a tiny village in western Uganda called Kaihura. If you're about to Google Map it, it's near Kyenjojo and the larger town of Fort Portal. I'm working with GSM's inaugural affiliate, Bringing Hope to the Family. In addition to getting to know all the people and places associated with Bringing Hope to the Family, I will also be working with everyone here to continue to develop & improve our international volunteer program. I'm also spending quality time with my international coworkers, the Sassers. And eating a lot of chapati along the way :)

So stay tuned for some tails from the trail! Looking forward to blogging from across the pond once again.

The Essentials

What does one pack as she prepares to embark towards her fifth African passport stamp?

• Chacos (seriously...I don't pack any other shoes)
• Osprey Aura 50 backpack
• Nalgene with splashguard (wide mouth water bottle is easier to hand wash, hard [for me] to drink from without the splashguard)
• Power strip (maybe not completely advisable, but allows for several American devices to be charging on one outlet)
• Bible & journal (the real things; don't cop out and make these electronic)
• Kindle (I'm as much a fan of real books as the next person, but this is a must-have when traveling)
• Headlamp (hands-free vision, yes please!)
• Tootsie Rolls (they don't melt in the hot African sun and are a little chocolatey taste of home)
• Sleeping bag liner (keeps you warm on chilly flights, just the right amount of warmth & cleanliness when you're sleeping in beds with questionable sheets)

What are your must-have travel essentials?

This Week...

I am...

• taking twice daily showers
• eating a pint of ice cream a day
• going to bed extra early so as to sleep extra long in my big fluffy bed
• cheese cheese cheese cheese cheese
• drinking ice water straight from the tap
• devouring chocolate chocolate chocolate
• wearing my shortest shorts and dresses
• loving on all my friends & hogging hugs

...like it's nobody's business. 

Because in one week, I'll be back on the great continent of Africa!

Mama, Papa & The Babes

Things have been very exciting here at Montrose lately! I wish this was the post in which I told you that we got a puppy, but alas, that day has not yet arrived. I am not a crazy cat lady and never will be. I have the potential of being a crazy single twentysomething dog lady. Thankfully, my anti-dog roommate has saved me from that. Instead, I have slowly and unexpectedly become...the crazy bird lady.

A few weeks ago, we found a brand new bird's nest at the top of one of our front porch columns. For days, we debated removing it and waited to see if a bird would return. Just as we were about to assume it was abandoned, we returned home to find a very pregnant robin standing watch over her new abode. 

As the days progressed, Mama Bird and I began to develop a relationship built on solid trust. She started out very skittish and did not like the fact that I would go in and out of the house frequently and spend hours sitting on the front porch. Sorry I'm NOT sorry, Mama - I loves me some front porch sittin'.

I learned from another blogger's posts about her robin's nest that robins lay one egg a day until they are finished laying all their eggs. One day, I stood on the rocking chair and reached up high with my iPhone to capture this picture:

Three eggs! The next day, I climbed up to discover this:

Four beautiful, robin's egg blue eggs. Crayola really had it right naming a crayon after these. Isn't that color stunning? She stopped at four and spent the next week or so keeping them warm and getting used to us being around on the front porch.

Sadly, when I climbed up a few days later, this was what I found:

Mama and I mourned that day. I don't know what happened to the egg. We never found it in the bushes around the area, and I don't think the stray neighborhood cat could have gotten up there...

Though I don't have any photos of him. Papa Bird often hangs around the yard watching Mama. He's never too far away and she will often leave the nest to say hi to him.

Three days ago, Mama was very active so while she was away from the nest for a while, I climbed up to snap this photo:

Two precious baby birds and one on its way!

In the end, these three ugly babes were resting in their nest with little flecks of leftover egg dotting their bare bodies.

Sometimes when I climb up and the shadow of my iPhone appears, they think I'm Mama coming to feed them and open up their oversized beaks for food. Interestingly enough, their eyes still aren't fully developed. See those black orbs beneath that beak? Those are their eyes. Weird, am I right?

For another perspective, here's Mama bringing back some yummy worms for The Babes. I snapped this while sitting in the rocking chair. I'm proud to say that Mama trusts me and doesn't even get mad anymore when I climb up to snap photos. 

Day 3, The Babes are growing quickly - more feathers and the start of eye slits. Both Mama and Papa are actively bringing food for The Babes - what good parents.

I don't know anything about bird birthing or raising, but I sure am proud of Mama and Papa and The Babes. Promise I won't be a crazy bird lady for much longer. Can I have a puppy now?

Oh Hey, 24

Things I am doing this year that I didn't do on last year's birthday:

• taking a hot shower
• driving my car
• eating ice cream
• hugging friends
• devouring a burger with cheese & bbq sauce
• smiling. a lot.

Did I mention hugging friends? I think that's the best.

Darkness is a Harsh Term, Don't You Think?

It may be someone else's mediocre video, but this is Mumford and Sons singing "Roll Away Your Stone" at the Ryman Auditorium during one of their three shows in Nashville this week. We can talk about the best Ryman shows ever at a later time. But I want you to soak up this song and see how it unexpectedly brought me to that strange point where you're simultaneously wiping away the fast tears and dancing in the aisles.

Roll away your stone, I'll roll away mine
Together we can see what we can find
Don't leave me alone at this time
For I'm afraid of what I will discover inside.

'Cause you told me that I would find a hole
Within the fragile substance of my soul
And I have filled this void with things unreal
And all the while, my character, it steals.

But darkness is a harsh term, don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see.

It seems that all my bridges have been burned,
But you say that's exactly how this grace thing works.
It's not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive with the restart.

Well darkness is a harsh term, don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see.
And darkness is a harsh term, don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see.

Stars hide your fires, these here are my desires.
And I will give them up to you this time around.
And so I'll be found with my stake stuck in this ground
Marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul.

But you, you've gone too far this time
You have neither reason nor rhyme
With which to take this soul that is so rightfully mine.

Kids Under Construction

(also the title of my favorite Children's Choir musical)

Please excuse the technological dust. Spring has sprung and it's time for a little blog makeover - in style as well as content.

How does it look so far? What would you like to see in terms of layout? What new content would you like to see in 2012?

As always, appreciate you; appreciate your feedback; appreciate your readership. Leave a comment below!

Homemade Snackity Snack

I was one of the few children who adamantly ordered the all-you-can-eat salad buffet at Ruby Tuesday's growing up. It wasn't because of some obscene love for salads or for the unlimited croutons, bacon bits, and shredded parmesan cheese. No. It was for the unadvertised vat of chocolate pudding at the end of the buffet. Why was there chocolate pudding at a salad buffet? I HAVE NO IDEA. But you could pile an entire plate full of chocolate pudding at the end of the night.

I also grew up on occasional Jello chocolate pudding cups. But those didn't have a huge impact on me. Other than undeniable glee.

A few weeks ago, I decided to treat myself to a six pack (of pudding cups). Guess what? Those things cost almost $4! A girl of my profession can't very well indulge in that on a weekly basis. I could make those powdered just-add-milk instant Jello pudding packs, but something makes me leery about eating that amalgamation of unknown ingredients on a daily basis as well.

Thus, the hunt for a decent homemade chocolate pudding recipe.

This one is easy peasy, quick, microwavable, and comes out at less than $1 per batch. I found it on a fun newly-discovered website called Budget Bytes. I also like to think it's really healthy because I use skim milk instead of...uhh...cream? And there's no gelatin.

Whatever. It's straight sugar and I love it.

The first time I made this, I ended up eating it all at once with a soup spoon while weeping in front of the Oscars. It's just such a moving show, guys. And Red Earth Trading Co's jewelry was worn (see #10) at it!

The second time, I quickly packaged it into itty bitty Gladware cups and have taken it to work for lunch every day this week. Yay self-control!

Beware: you will be tempted to eat this straight out of the microwave. And you will burn your tongue and be unable to taste the pudding later on once it's cooled. Resist temptation.

Quick Chocolate Pudding

Photo cred

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp corn starch
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and corn starch. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps. Whisk in the milk until everything is evenly mixed.

Microwave the mixture on high for three minutes. Remove the bowl and give it a good stir. Microwave for one and a half minutes more, then stir again. Continue to microwave at one and a half minute intervals until the pudding has thickened (about 3-4 cycles of cooking/stirring).

Stir in the vanilla extract. Either serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. Press plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding before refrigerating to prevent the formation of a thick skin.

Put into individual serving size cups, for the love of God.

Hello, Spring

Springtime is nipping at our heels and March looks as if it'll be coming in like a lion. Today, I woke up to 66 degrees, 84% humidity, and thunderstorms in February. Love that Tennessee weather.

I forgot how much I love spring. In the craziness of living life in Namibia's perpetual summer last year, I missed spring - literally and figuratively. I missed flowers blooming and trees budding. I missed thunderstorms and tornadoes. I missed love in the air and baby animals. I missed the fresh smell of new life.

If you're new to the blog, it's important for you to know how much I love seasons. I love seasons. Seasons of life, seasons of weather, seasons of development. Seasons are beautiful and biblical. I love that the Lord loves seasons.

Clearly, springtime is lovable. It's a time of rebirth, growth, and renewal. We are able to shed our heavy winter coats and shake off all the density of the old year. This is a beautiful thing.

So on today's "extra" day of the year, I'm celebrating by leaping in the wet grass, eating donuts, and watching the ominous clouds fly overhead. Oh...and I'm buying anti-allergen bedding today to ring in spring as well.

Best Hot Chocolate: Nashville Edition

Y'all! It's here! Extra extra read all about it!

That's right. After five years of meticulous studying and semi-secrecy, I'm going public with my Best Hot Chocolates of Nashville List.

As a non-coffee drinker and appreciator of chocolate, I have spent the last half a decade "researching" Nashville's best hot chocolate - also known as my excuse to become a coffeeshop connoisseur. It's not all about the cocoa; the coffeeshop itself matters, too. My experiences include everything from ordering on-the-go and late nights of studying, to Saturday afternoon reading and coffeedates with friends.

In light of your short attention spans, I'm going to give you two lists and Tweet-sized reviews of each coffeeshop (for you luddites out there, that means 140 characters or less).

Leave me a comment! What's your favorite place to grab some cocoa in Nashville?

Best Hot Chocolate:
Based on taste, warmth, appearance, and presentation.

1. The Cocoa Tree
2. Crema
3. Fido/Hot & Cold/Bongo Java (Belmont & East)
4. Dose
5. Edgehill Cafe (Edgehill & Lenox Village)
6. Ugly Mugs
7. JJ's
8. The Perch
9. Portland Brew (12 South & East)
10. Roast Inc.
11. Sam & Zoe's
12. Merridee's
13. Cafe Coco
14. Star Bagel
15. Starbucks
16. Drinkhaus
17. Panera
18. Krispy Kreme
19. Frothy Monkey
20. Fiddlecakes

Best Atmosphere:
Based on how much I want to sit & chat with a friend or bring a book & camp out there.

1. Crema
2. Bongo Java: Belmont
3. Frothy Monkey
4. Edgehill Cafe: Lenox Village
5. Fido
6. Edgehill Cafe: Edgehill
7. Dose
8. Portland Brew: East Nashville
9. Ugly Mugs
10. JJ's
11. Starbucks
12. The Perch
13. The Cocoa Tree
14. Bongo Java: East
15. Merridee's
16. Panera
17. Cafe Coco
18. Sam & Zoe's
19. Star Bagel
20. Roast Inc.
21. Portland Brew: 12 South
22. Krispy Kreme
23. Hot & Cold
24. Drinkhaus
25. Fiddlecakes

Tweet-Sized Coffeeshop Reviews:

Bongo Java: Belmont - Belmont - 2007 Belmont Blvd - big sister of fido. located in old house. quiet nooks for reading. great "everyday" hot chocolate. best big shady porch in town!

Bongo Java: East - East Nashville - 107 South 11th St - original fido/bongo relative nestled in east nash five points. teeny tiny coffeeshop. great "everyday" hot chocolate like fido and bongo.

Cafe Coco - Vanderbilt - 210 Louise Ave - open 24 hours. delicious food. live music. great place to play board games or meet friends. hot chocolate is average. don't walk here alone.

The Cocoa Tree - Germantown - 1200 5th Ave N Ste 104 - top 10 best HC in america according to...everyone! homemade chocolate, homemade marshmallows & grahams. several varieties. so, so rich.

Crema - Downtown - 15 Hermitage Ave - delightfully smooth, rich hot chocolate served in big warm mugs. friendly baristas. cozy. porch. good for hipster & celebrity spotting.

Dose - Sylvan Park - 3431 Murphy Road - really, really good hot chocolate served in mugs. great woody decor and bright, open one-room shop with both booths and tables.

Drinkhaus - Germantown - 500 Madison St #103 - best non-alcoholic peppermint hot chocolate ever to hit my tummy. austere but sunny atmosphere. unfriendly staff. no background music!

Edgehill Cafe: Edgehill - Music Row - 1201 Villa Place - cool wood tables, big windows, great hatch show posters on walls. tasty syrupy hot chocolate. good place to work at.

Edgehill Cafe: Lenox Village - Lenox Village - 6900 Lenox Village Blvd - partnered with the rabbit room! sells great books & cds. friendly staff. delicious, syrupy hot chocolate. cozy fireplace atmosphere.

Fiddlecakes - 8th & Wedgewood - 2206 8th Ave South - no hot chocolate, yet calls itself a coffeeshop! have yet to eat anything tasty here. located in awesome house, but could do so much better.

Fido - Hillsboro Village - 1812 21st Ave South - classic nashville. big & often busy. full of friends. best "everyday" hot chocolate, offered with BOTH marshmallows and whipped cream.

Frothy Monkey - 12 South - 2509 12th Ave South - spacious, cozy, homey. a favorite of locals. terrible hot chocolate and other drinks. love to go here, but sometimes don't order anything.

Hot & Cold - Hillsboro Village - 1804 21st Ave S - part fido, las paletas, & jeni's ice cream. can get hot drinks (incl rich drinking chocolate!) & cold sweets dipped in choc. tiny tables.

JJ's - Midtown - 1912 Broadway - classic college study spot. music changes w time of day. HC served in tall glass w a cookie stick. choc syrupy taste. great market attached.

Krispy Kreme - Woodbine - 408 Thompson Lane - typical cocoa, but only place to get coffee in the early AM in woodbine. great paired w their seasonal pumpkin donuts. big, open atmosphere.

Merridee's - Franklin - 110 4th Ave S, Franklin, TN - extensive delicious baked goods, bfast, and lunch. classic hot chocolate. lovely busy small town feel! ample seating but can get very busy.

Panera - usually 21st or West End - decent cocoa, but i'd rather buy 3 large mac&cheese bowls. cocoa seems better paired with a pastry. good for doing work outside of lunch hr.

The Perch - Brentwood - 117 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN - cocoa and crepes? PLEASE! cocoa is usual but seems even better paired with a sweet s'mores crepe. cozy, sunny place with tiny tables.

Portland Brew: 12 South - 12 South - 2605 12th Ave South - used to be cold and bare, but now boasts good syrupy hot chocolate, more seating, brighter atmosphere. great local neighborhood coffeeshop.

Portland Brew: East Nashville - East Nashville - 1921 Eastland Ave - same cocoa as 12S. great, two-story shop with spacious seating, board games, good lighting, light music. good alt to other ones in eastnash.

Roast Inc. - Crieve Hall - 4825 Trousdale Drive - great neighborhood locale. boasts in their tasty, specialty coffees. cocoa is good...and pumpkin cocoa in the fall! few seats.

Sam & Zoe's - Berry Hill - 525 Heather Place - great quirky exterior. typical syrupy hot chocolate. decent seating and has extensive food options.

Star Bagel - Sylvan Park - 4504 Murphy Road - cocoa is decent. even better paired with their fabulous bagels. seating inside and outside. good neighborhood place.

Starbucks - usually 21st Ave, West End, or Green Hills - cocoa is too rich & heavy for me to love. but tastes even better when bought on a giftcard. major celeb sightings at 21st and green hills.

Ugly Mugs - East Nashville - 1886 Eastland Ave - delicious cocoa with extra syrup. lots of seating. great place to hang out with trendy nashvillians and have occasional celeb sightings.