Knoxville TN

My son and I took a quick trip to Knoxville TN this past Saturday. Tickets to see Broadway’s farewell tour of Rent called for a day trip to walk around and find good food. Priorities, you know?!

I’m pretty sure when he opened the gift Christmas morning to see tickets to Rent, that I was more excited about a mini adventure and returning to the theater after COVID than he was.

The only catch was a return to a location that held some past triggers.

My last visit to Knoxville was in the middle of a court case with my then husband who’d been arrested on assault charges. It was a time when I was constantly looking over my shoulder and stressed out with two young children to take care of.

I had scheduled a visit to see the Broadway tour of The Addams Family which my uncle was a part of. I needed some downtime to unwind and do something for myself and that seemed like the perfect solution. 

I remember the drive there, walking to the Theatre, the performance, visiting with my uncle over sushi, the drive home. I remember looking in the mirror during intermission and thinking how tired I looked. I had tried hard to get dressed and feel confident but with no luck. I felt drab, unattractive and exhausted. 

I felt defeated.

Revisiting places that hold bad memories is a tricky strategy when getting over past traumas. The reality is, it could go either way. Honestly, it has gone both ways with me. Sometimes it helps me make new memories and move forward while other times I’ve just relived the moments and caused myself anxiety. 

It’s a toss in the air of how it will land, but I had a good feeling about this trip. 

And I was right. Even with the rain and cold, walking the sidewalks on S Gay Street and watching the Tennessee fans getting pumped about a basketball game, couples in formal attire headed to a wedding, people of all ages looking for food and laughing at the crosswalks… it just reminded me of how far I’d come. How far we’d both come as a mother and son team.

He was in the thick of the hardest times in my life (also his) and here we were, carefree, looking for a lunch spot, laughing at the crosswalk like everyone else.

We decided on Chivo Taqueria as our lunch dive. Loved it. Of course, I love tacos so it’s not hard to sell me on something that smelled that good walking by.

Queso and homemade chips for starters. And let me just say, I could have just as easily made a meal out of that. But we know that just wouldn’t do… I needed to try more. So steak quesadillas for me and ground beef burrito for my son.

Both were good but steak quesadillas won by a landslide.
The server was extremely attentive and the atmosphere seemed fun. Games going at the bar, everyone was lively and having a good time.

Next we were on to the historic Tennessee Theater to see Rent. If you are close by and have never been, it really is a beautiful theater. With 3 more Broadway productions coming this season.

After the show we decided on some dinner before hitting the road back home. Nama Sushi Bar Knoxville TN was a shot in the dark without reservations, but luckily they had seating at the back bar.

What can I say about this place other than really good sushi. I let my son ordered a variety of rolls to share and there wasn’t a single piece left when the check came. It’s worth stopping by if you enjoy sushi.

Overall Knoxville was a good trip. I wish the rain had held off so we could have done more walking but it accomplished its goal. Taking back control of anywhere that held bad memories and replacing them with ones I’ll cherish.