Not everyone would be comfortable moving halfway across the country and into a home filled with strangers, but Maren Morris was determined to make her dreams come true when she moved to Nashville 10 years ago.

A decade later, she's reminiscing on what she can now admit was, well, risky.

"It’s a 10 year town," she says of Music City. "10 years ago, I packed up the u-haul with a dream and a healthy dose of delusion, moved into a Craigslist place with two roommates I didn’t know, and hustled to get into any writing room I could. 10 years later, I’m still driving circles around this town."

She had a photo to share, too, of the day she left Texas. She's standing in front of a U-Haul trailer with her arms wrapped around her mom. Swipe right to see a video of a more modern Morris performing in front of a large audience at one of her shows.

"Today this dream looks a lot different than the one I packed up with. A lot of miracles and a lot more lessons than I cared to learn, but it has a pretty patina that makes it mine," she continues. "I want to give my younger self a hug and say 'Brace yourself, b--ch. It’s gonna get weird but you’re gonna be so proud.'"

"Everything in my bones says this next decade will look even more different. Happier, untethered and more lived in. I’m excited to know her. Happy ten years, Nashville," she adds.

Nashville being a "10 year town" means it takes the majority of artists a decade to fulfill their dreams of signing a record deal and releasing their first single. For Morris, who released her hit single "My Church" in 2016, it was more like two or three years.

The "Humble Quest" singer signed her first record label deal with Columbia Nashville in September 2015, with her debut single "My Church" arriving in November of that year. The song would eventually peak at No. 5 on the Billboard Country Songs chart and No. 9 on the Country Airplay chart.

Morris would go on to win a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for "My Church."

She spent several years pursuing her dreams before moving to Tennessee, including auditioning for reality singing shows, like American Idol, America's Got Talent, The Voice and Nashville Star. She got her start writing for other artists; Tim McGraw would record her song "Last Turn Home" for his 2014 album Sundown Heaven Town, and Kelly Clarkson would include "Second Wind" on her Piece by Piece album in 2015.

As for the next 10 years, the Texas native has her sights set on Broadway. In 2022, she talked about auditioning for the role of Elphaba Thropp in Wicked and recently told fans she got a call back. Morris got a taste of what the role would feel like in December, when she performed "For Good" with Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda the Good in the musical.

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