There are trips that are all about work and deadlines, and then there are trips that remind you to pause. My birthday weekend in Nashville, Tennessee , was the perfect intersection of both—an opportunity to unwind, celebrate with loved ones, and savor moments that don’t make the headlines. At the center of it all was Bourbon Steak Nashville , perched on the 34th floor of the JW Marriott in downtown SoBro. This is where my serious and casual sides collided—a place where birthd