As my college experience comes to a close, I also have to think about life after college. One of my options is to go to Memphis, TN, for a program called the Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR). Part of the interviewing process includes a visit to the program's facilities where you conduct a teaching sample and interview among other things.

Having lived half of my life in Southern California and half in Central Michigan, I did not know very much about TN. Yet, while I visited the city of Memphis, I got to learn some cool things about it. Here they are:

1. Tennessee is a part of the "Bible Belt"

This term gained popularity and began to be used to name the region that included Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina of the Southern U.S. states in the popular media.

2. Home to America's first self-service store

Memphis is home toPiggly Wigglywhich was founded in 1916. "[I]t was unlike any other contemporary grocery store. There were shopping baskets, open shelves, and no clerks to shop for the customer – all of which were previously unheard of!"

3. The most populous city in TN

The metropolitan area of Memphis had a population of 1,341,746 most recently! That is more than Nashville, although the two cities are debated in regards to which is larger than the other.

4. The largest cargo operation in the world

It is one of the busiest inland ports on the Mississippi River, shipping over 11 million tons of cargo each year! Then, the FedEx headquarters in the city combined with the Memphis International Airport provide space for Memphis to be bustling year round.

5. The origin of Elvis Presley

In the 1950's, Elvis began his career with Sun Records in Memphis giving it the iconic name as the "Birthplace of Rock and Roll." Memphis is also the place where Graceland mansion (Elvis' home until his death) is located! At the mansion you can put on headphones and have a self-guided tour while listening Elvis' music.

6. Historic Center for the Civil Rights Movement

This fact I did know because it is so crucial to American History, but knowing that Memphis was the location of major civil rights events is something that I want to highlight. The National Civil Rights Museum is a collection of sites that pertain to the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis. The Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination took place is one of the many spots that you can find here.

These are only a fraction of the amazing things that Memphis has to offer, but they are the key things that I heard about while being in Tennessee for a short weekend. Go ahead and do a quick google search and you can find at least 20 more awesome facts about this metropolitan area.