First Experience with Furnished Finder - Nashville, TN

Thus far I have only used Airbnb and VRBO (only once) to book my rentals. With fees and taxes the rentals are expensive adding at least $300 to the monthly rental. I decided to try another platform FurnishedFinder.com. Originally, it was created to offer rentals to traveling nurses. It offers longer term rental with no fees to the platform. The only fees that are paid are cleaning fees to the landlord (if any), deposit and pet deposit. Every listing as every landlord is different. I found some that have non-refundable deposits and others that offer a refund when you move out. I contacted a few, but without luck - they either don't respond (70%), don't rent to non-nursing humans (20%). This one did reply when I sent an inquiry back in October. I spoke with the owner on the phone, liked the person and the description of the rental (pictures are provided on the website) and agreed to do a background check. $40 and an hour later I got an approval from the landlord. It was odd that my rental was secure that easily, so I was doubting. No deposit was asked ahead of time. A month later when I arrived to Pulaski, I went to Nashville to meet with the owners in person. I liked the location and the house, and most importantly it seemed a legitimate listing with real owners. A non-official rental agreement was signed, initially for just February and March, but ultimately extended to January and April.

The move in date was moved to December 26th. I arrived at the house in moderate snow event (it's been a while since I have driven in the snowy conditions!) and paid the rent via Venmo (I already transferred the deposits and cleaning fee a month before). The owners left with their dogs to Texas and the house was mine!

The house is located in a lower middle class area about 20 minutes from the downtown. The neighborhood has train tracks right in the middle of it with trains passing through (with loud horns!) regularly during the day and at night. It is pretty quiet and safe. I can easily walk on the neighborhood streets at night without a fear of getting robbed. The neighborhood does not have great grocery stores like Trade Joe's or Whole Foods, but had a Kroger, Aldi and Walmart - much more than I could ever hope for in most of my previous rentals. There are two Planet Fitness locations, each about 10 minutes from the house. I have a nice deck - picture below was taken on the day I moved in - and a use of one bedroom, living room, dining room and a kitchen. The remaining two bedrooms are locked by the owners. 

Dinning room table

Dining room and kitchen

Main bathroom

Living room with non-functional fireplace

TV in the living room

Older, but fully functional kitchen

Bedroom

Half-bathroom from the bedroom

The moment we moved in, Kitty felt at ease - there was room for walking around and even running around! 

The house comes with an alarm system that made me a bit scared in the beginning. The owners told me that 7 years ago they had someone break in the house through the back door. They should not even have told me that because for 3 nights I was a bit on edge. Soon enough I got used to the house and really felt like I was home, this time for 4 months!

Cheekwood Holiday Lights, Deep Freeze from an Arctic Front, Allergies and an Unplanned Move

I like pre-Christmas activities, probably even more than the holiday itself as it embodies time with family. My friend and I decided to stay in Nashville overnight and see Cheekwood Holiday Lights, an annual event at Cheekwood gardens. They set up Christmas lights on the trees and multiple holiday arrangements. The event was terrific, albeit a bit cold. The price for the ticket was reasonable, $28 with all the fees included. One thing I would do next time is bring a cup of coffee or tea with me. While they sold beverages there, the lines were pretty long, and waiting in the cold without moving much was just not an option.

After the lights we went to Sam's Place in Belle Meade. The wait was long, the food - average at best, but quick service! Not a place that I would want to revisit any time in the future.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Green Hills where I used my accrued points for the first time! The hotel was pretty good in a lovely neighborhood, but I could not sleep at all thinking about Kitty being alone. I ended up going back to Shelbyville in the morning and coming back for brunch right after I made sure he was okay.

We had brunch at Sadie's with the women I met through Bumble BFF app a week ago. The restaurant would become our favorite just after one meal. It was great to establish solid connections with like-minded people. I ordered something called a "shakshuka".

My friend gave me a Christmas gift of Italian panettone among other things and a lovely Christmas tree. It fit right in on the shelf of my rental.

Sunrises at this Airbnb are just stunning. This was probably the most beautiful one I have ever seen.

The sky was preparing for something though. And that something was an Arctic front that was creating havoc in the neighboring states. It was coming our way brining frigid cold temperatures. With my wall heater I knew I needed something else, so the host offered another electric heater should the temperatures get really low in the apartment.

Indeed, I needed it. The wind picked up blowing a sustained 20-25 miles per hour. It was a bit concerning being on the second floor of a building hearing howling winds. The next morning everything froze, including the faucet that the host told me "would be ok not to turn on" (I did leave the one in the bathroom running through the night). The cold front was moving slowly, so the next couple of days would be very cold.

I decided to revisit Henry Horton park to see the nature in the freezing cold. Needless to say, my toes were not happy, but it was worth it.

My allergies continued affecting my breathing. When I would be in the apartment, I kept having irritated airways. I finally told my host, and she offered to buy an air purifier and take our the air conditioner so that I could keep the window open for additional airflow. If none of these measures worked, she told me she would refund for the days I did not stay there.

I was thrilled with the options, but after another few nights of symptoms continuing I decided to plan an exit strategy and contacted my next host knowing that they had the house available early. We decided that I would move in on December 26th. I let my host know only to hear that there would be a refund only of $300 and only because they were able to book someone else who was coming on January 5th. I was very disappointed, but knowing the fact that the reservation itself was non-refundable, I would take it.

I later contacted Airbnb to inquire if there was some sort of reimbursement with their new Aircover protection policy. They responded 5 (!) days later saying that I would need to provide a physical proof that there was something wrong with the apartment. Really??? How would I show something that is in the air??? I was disappointed even more with the time it took them to respond to me. No wonder more and more people refuse to use Airbnb because of their horrible customer service and lack of any kind of protection for the owners and renters.

On a good note, I was in my new place and on Day 1 I had zero allergies!

Bunkhouse Above Yoga Studio with Peloton!

Shelbyville is a city located in Middle Tennessee, about 50 miles south of Nashville. It is has a population of around 20,000 people.

Shelbyville is known for its horse industry, as it is home to many thoroughbred horse farms and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, a major horse show held annually in the city. In addition to its equine industry, Shelbyville is also home to a number of manufacturing and distribution companies.

The city has a rich history dating back to the early 19th century, when it was founded as a stop on the Nashville-Chattanooga stagecoach line. The downtown area still retains much of its historic charm, with a number of old buildings and homes on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shelbyville was named after Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky and a Revolutionary War hero. The city was founded in 1810 and became an important center for agriculture and trade. Today, Shelbyville is home to a number of historic sites and landmarks, including the Old Stone Fort, the Bedford County Courthouse, and the Shelbyville Public Square.

With that said, Shelbyville is still a remote community, albeit within an hour distance from the big city. How did I end up here? I liked the Airbnb listing! In fact, I booked this place months ago. 

Main area - this is my living room/bedroom/office

Kitchennette

Bathroom

I requested an early check in, and the host was absolutely amazing not only allowing me to come early but also asking if I wanted the place decorated for Christmas. Of course, I would! What a difference from the previous host!

I arrived around noon and was greeted by Billy who showed me the bunkhouse above the yoga studio (remodeled garage), his mancave with a pool table and an auto shop where he restored old cars, introduced me to the chickens and offered two fresh eggs just sitting in the chicken coop waiting for me!

My window decorated for the holidays

Lovely chickens

One of the host's horses

The host decorated my door for Christmas

The bunkhouse was a studio apartment with a kitchenette and a small bathroom. It seemed to be a bit smaller than I imagined, but perhaps it's because I got accustomed to the 3 bedroom house. I unloaded the car and started to organize things. I knew I could find space for most of my things, even in this small space.

Lori, another host, stopped by an hour later to say hello. She showed me the yoga studio downstairs and invited to join her yoga class that she taught three times a week. She also allowed me to use her Peloton treadmill and even created a separate profile for me. I was excited to finally have access to some sort of exercise equipment. 

That evening I indeed took advantage of the Peloton treadmill and found it fun and engaging. Running was never my favorite form of exercise, but somehow I found Peloton instructors to be motivating. Peloton was founded in 2012 by John Foley and his co-founders, who were inspired by the success of SoulCycle and sought to create a similar experience for home workouts. The company has experienced explosive growth in recent years, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of at-home fitness and the convenience and flexibility of its products.

One of the key features of Peloton's exercise equipment is the ability to take live and on-demand fitness classes with professional instructors. Users can choose from a wide variety of classes, including cycling, strength training, yoga, and meditation, and can filter classes based on length, intensity, and instructor.

After the first night, I noticed I was having allergy symptoms just like I did in a few previous apartments that I rented. I knew there was something in the carpet. Hopefully, within the first two weeks my body gets used to it, but in the meantime, I keep the window air conditioner's fan on for the airflow. Sadly, this is the negative aspect of traveling and changing places frequently. The place can be spotless clean, but still contain allergens.

The hosts have 3 dogs, but for the most part they are pretty quiet. Besides, with the need to keep the fan on all the time, I barely hear them anyway. With that said, I became somewhat accustomed to dog barking, so it is not a huge irritant anymore.

Kitty got used to the place after the first day. He definitely misses the space, but he can adjust to it just like I can.

Every day I woke up with a different sunrise.

The first weekend I was at the new place, the host invited me for dinner.

I also attended one of her yoga classes and in exchange I taught her how to bake sourdough bread.

This was her very first loaf!

After a week of non-stop rain, I also ventured out on a hike in Henry Horton State Park. River Trail to Hickory Ridge Loop is a 4.4 mile trail along the river. It was really muddy in the beginning, and I was slipping all over even wearing my boots.

You can see my footsteps - together with footsteps of a few racoons

The trail was completely isolated. I saw deer, but no humans.

They are such peaceful and graceful creatures. I cannot imagine how anyone could shoot an animal.

David Crockett and Radnor Lake State Parks Hiking + More Nashville Exploration

David Crockett State Park is the closest hiking are to Pulaski. I discovered my favorite trail there, Trail of Tears, Lake Road Loop, and Crawfish Valley Trail Loop. Even in the late fall when all the foliage is down, the trail offers a variety of landscapes from flat riverside hiking to a waterfall. There is a little bit of elevation gain/loss and around 4 miles round trip distance making it a nice morning hike. 

Radnor Lake State Park is another discovery I made back in early April of this year. I decided to visit it again and hike Otter Creek Road to Garnier Ridge. I really needed to be back in the nature today as I found out that Iohan Gueorguiev, a bikepacker and world traveler who I have been following for several years now has passed away by suicide. I could never imagine that someone who seemed to be so in touch with his internal world could do that. His videos will hopefully live on...

I also attended a few meetups. Thompson's Station Holiday Market was reasonably crowded with traffic extending a mile in each direction, but the food trucks were terrific there. Well, maybe one food truck in particular.

Napa valley chef, as someone told me

Unusually delicious beet and goat cheese cream salad

The vendors were alright, but I didn't end up buying anything there. I managed to even bypass a baked goods stand!

After the event I went to another gathering which turned out to be in a bowling alley. I hate bowling, so after an hour and a half I was on my way back to fabulous Pulaski.

I also started my volunteer shift at the public library. I pull books that patrons place on hold. For 2 hours (the duration of my shift) I am surrounded by books. I was surprised to see how many homeless people hang out at the library. In fact, most patrons there were homeless. This was the same scene I saw in Knoxville. I don't think I have ever been at libraries that were so crowded with them. I guess there are not many resources available for them to go elsewhere, and it's getting cold...

The benefit of volunteering at the library is free parking downtown in their garage. I am certainly taking advantage of that!

I also managed to venture out to a Yelp-hosted event where we had a sit-down dinner at El Paseo Cantina. The food was pretty good, although the level of spiciness was a bit too high for my liking.

Finally, it was time to depart Pulaski. A day of celebration. I took a video of what I am not going to miss: 

Thanksgiving in Nashville and Unreasonable Host Experience on Airbnb

While Thanksgiving itself was a bust with my car trouble, I had a great time with my friend who came from Spencer (the place where I rented my last Airbnb) to spend the weekend together. On Saturday, we went out to one of the few local restaurants in Pulaski The Southern Table. Neither of us was very hungry after having lunch a few hours earlier, so we ordered a few appetizers. The atmosphere was very quiet, not even music, which was a bit odd. There were a few couples dining, but for the most part the restaurant was empty. The waitress who took our orders and called me "honey" was a typical southern woman, or how I would imagine a southern woman to be.

Both dishes were surprisingly very good. I really liked the brussels sprouts, crispy and delicious!

Vegetarian flatbread

Crispy brussels sprouts

We thought we would walk around the downtown, but it started to rain (and let's be real, there is no downtown in Pulaski) and we got back to the house. We watched TV for a while and went to bed.

The next morning we headed to Nashville. I wanted to go to The Hampton Social, a trendy venue in downtown Nashville that promised good cocktails and fancy atmosphere. When we got there, we realized we were too mature for the space. Loud music preventing a decent conversation was just not the vibe we were looking for at 11 AM. We did check out the rooftop area and had a drink. My bloody mary was awfully spicy, and the atmosphere was cold (literally, since it was outside).

The third table we sat at - the first two did not appeal to us :)

Bloody Mary

We got the check and headed to the café we passed on our way to The Hampton Social Café Intermezzo. My Italian friend was pleased with the name already. This was exactly what we needed for lunch - classy atmosphere, outstanding service, amazing food (well, except for my house coffee that was weak as water).

My friend's cappuccino - she claimed Italians would never drink it after noon, but she was not in Italy 

Wrap with a side of strawberries

Buttered croissant

Eggs benedict with smoked salmon

We opted not to have their delicious dessert (crazy people, I know!) and headed back to Broadway on the way to Sephora. After a bit of shopping we stopped by Nashville Public Library where I applied to volunteer to see the building and then headed back to the car to drive home. My friend was going back to Spencer today and had a long drive.

After a great weekend I was back to reality of work life. And then my host contacted me telling me she was going to come "see the house". I suspiciously asked why she would need to do that and she insisted to come on Monday because she "hasn't seen it in 10 months"! I was appalled by the rudeness of this matter-of-fact imposition and contacted Airbnb to see what my rights were. They got back to me saying that it is not typical for the host to do that and that I could refuse. 

She replied they "changed plans" and won't be coming to the house after all. Talk about privacy intrusion! This host has been one of the worst I've had in 50+ rentals I have stayed at. Needless to say, my review after I leave will state that. I bet hers will too.

In the meantime, I had my front brakes and rotors changed for a hefty price and hope that this will resolve the screeching issue. We shall see...