Long Distance: Kelly Henderson

HERE: LSU student

THERE: Hair and make-up artist in the Nashville music industry.

I left the month after I graduated from LSU in 2004. I spent the summer of 2003 in Nashville doing a public relations internship and just fell in love with the city, so I made the move. It also helped that my internship was in the music business, which was super-exciting to me at the time.

LSU football—hands down. There really is no place like Tiger Stadium on a Saturday Night. People in Nashville don’t even get it. I went to a tailgate for a Vanderbilt game last year, and there were about five tents. I remember looking around and asking my boyfriend “Are we here?” Plus it was raining during that whole game, and all Baton Rougeans know that the chance of rain in Tiger Stadium is “never!” I miss that, too.

I don’t miss the weather. Nashville gets really hot in the summer, but we also have a fall, winter and spring. It’s nice to have four seasons.

Nashville is awesome because it’s a big city with a small-town feel. It feels cozy and Southern, but there is always something going on. You can find live music on any night of the week.

Although Baton Rouge has fun stuff going on, I feel like it is all geared towards Friday and Saturday night. It’s fun to shake things up on a Tuesday sometimes.

I could do hair and make-up in Baton Rouge, but not in the way that I do it in Nashville. I would probably be working in a salon or for a news station in B.R. versus doing music videos and photo shoots.

Sadly, it’s been a couple years. My parents moved to Houston after I graduated from high school, so “home” now, is in Texas.

First stop is always Izzo’s. I lived near one when I was at LSU—I miss it so much. I always have to go by The Chimes, too, and to Sammy’s, then get a large daiquiri from French Quarter Daiquiris.