My Adventures: 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.