It’s been over a month since the Great Eclipse of 2017 and I wake every morning ready for another celestial miracle. Are you wondering if it was worth taking a day from work, taking the drive and tackling the traffic to see the it? Read about my review of the entire event.

I was in charge of #EclipseSnacks so on Sunday, August 20 I attempted to buy Krispy Kreme’s once-in-a-lifetime Blackout Donuts. I failed miserably. The drive though line spilled into the street, the shop door was locked with some hungry patrons inside and I left empty handed. Now I had to arrive extra early on eclipse day to beat the crowd and grab those donuts! I was also in charge of MoonPies but hadn’t been able to find any in my local Walmart, Target or Publix. I visited the MoonPie website and discovered I could buy them at Walgreens (WHAT??) so I added that to my list of things to do.

We decided to travel to Lebanon, Tennessee for the event and I spent the remainder of Sunday verifying Lebanon as the right place to go to experience 100% of the eclipse. I triple checked to make sure my phone and battery packs were fully charged and slept poorly, afraid that I might miss it! I managed to pick up the donuts and Moon Pies on time and I was ready to hit the road. My pilot, Julia McNair, had a great app that guided us to the perfect spot and after a much needed StarBucks stop, we joined the drivers headed north. Lebanon is about an hour east of Nashville and was an ideal location for the eclipse. We met fellow traveler Dave Foster who drove from Wisconsin to watch and film the event. We also met Kristyn Smith and her mom who were traveling to Nashville to celebrate Kristyn’s birthday and learned about the eclipse while picking up a few items at Walmart!

The weather was typically Southernly hot but we didn’t care because the eclipse was coming! However, I wish I had packed a bit of sunblock since I normally avoid being in the sun at Noon. We all watched as the sun slowly ebbed and the moon took over and shared in the joy of observing. Here’s a selfie I was able to get with the crescent sun!

I didn’t know about the eclipse crescent shadows until Julia told me to look for them. WOW! I so was mesmerized that I almost neglected to continue my eclipse watch.

And then totality occurred and we all cheered for the glory, the darkness and the fact that we could stand as witnesses. Here’s a Instagram Live video and please forgive my gushiness but I was speechless then tongued then realized I needed to capture this as best as I could to share it with people who couldn’t witness it.

As the light returned, our sunny group spoke to each other, shared our feelings and tried to use social media to stay in touch with each other. Julia and I drove home in (not horrible) traffic amazed that we witnessed a complete eclipse. We were literally star-struck and also a little sunburned!

So, was it worth it? Absolutely and thank you Lebanon for hosting us and being the perfect place to view the eclipse! I spoke with several friends who went to Nashville and experienced cloud coverage instead of the eclipse. The next total solar eclipse occurs April 8, 2024 and there are plans afoot to be there. This time we think we’ll cross the border and go to Canada.

What about you? Did you watch the eclipse or did you pass? For many people, it was (and is) a once in a lifetime event and I’m glad that I was alive to experience it! Are you planning on seeing the next full or partial eclipse or are you thinking, meh!