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By Lorie Ann Simpson

I am a Certified Professional Coder. That is a fancy title for what I do: read the surgeon’s operative note and choose the appropriate codes to bill out to the insurance companies. I love the world of coding. I have heard you either love it or hate it. And I very much love it.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending an Orthopedic coding conference in Nashville. The whole trip was amazing, from the two ladies who traveled with me to the speakers at the meetings to the incredible food. I had never been to Nashville before, so just being in the craziness of a big city was thrilling. Since I was driving, the traffic wasn’t as compelling, but with the help of the GPS and my friends; we made it just fine.

The hotel where we stayed and where the conference was held was tremendous, with room service, valet parking, an incredible view of the city, and nightly country music singers. On our first night, we tried a little taco place called Cinco De Mayo, within walking distance from our hotel. Oh, my, the food was so good. The best chimichanga I have had in a long time. Then, of course, we had to stop by the Dollar General on the corner to get some water and sodas. (Never fear, there is always a DG close by.)

The next evening, we tried a fantastic Italian place called Amerigo. They had an entrée called Chicken Margarite. I chose the tomato-basil cream sauce with mine, and it was wonderful. Then on our last night, we went to a sandwich shop called Jasper’s. Let me warn you, the BBQ sandwich was very spicy. It also had a little souvenir shop next door where I got some neat items to take back home with me.

We stopped by Buc-ee’s gas station for beef jerky on our way home. Oh. My. Goodness! That was my first time at Buc-ee’s and it was a treat. They literally have everything there. Banana pudding fudge was the best thing I brought home to my family. My favorite of the whole store was the iced coffee dispenser. I could make it just the way I wanted it.

All in all, it was the best trip. I am thankful that the Lord allowed us traveling mercies and kept us safe. I honestly had so much fun. And the knowledge we brought back will help all of us be better coders. But it was extra nice to be back home with my family. I missed them terribly. Until next time Nashville.