“The Mississippi Delta
Was shining like a national guitar
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War

I’m going to Graceland, Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
I’m going to Graceland” (Paul Simon).

It’s official. Tomorrow morning, the family and I are embarking on a two-day road trip to Memphis, and I will finally get to mark Graceland off of my bucket list. I lived in Memphis all my life until 2006 and never made it, but soon that won’t be the case.

I’ve been anxious to go since I saw the Elvis movie with Austin Butler and was able to see the livestream of Lisa Marie Presley’s funeral held at Graceland. Plus, I have been an Elvis fan since possibly before I could walk or talk.

I will get to see relatives I haven’t visited in a while. I will probably get to see some familiar landmarks I haven’t seen in a long time. Maybe if I’m lucky I will get some of that Memphis barbecue.

I am a Nashvillian now but Memphis will always be my hometown. It will always be the place I was born and raised. It’s the place where Jesus found me and where I learned those formative spiritual lessons that I am still figuring how to live out.

Hopefully, this will be the first of many road trips to come. In the mean time, I will have a certain Paul Simon song stuck in my head for the foreseeable future.