Atlanta 2021

Hello! Long time, no post! Sometimes it can be hard for us writers to create “readable” material because let’s be honest- some of our lives are not interesting enough to be curated into a blog post (i.e mine). But something that I experienced recently WAS quite eventful- and that was my trip to visit family and friends in Atlanta. So, here’s my ATL trip in a nutshell. Enjoy!

Actually, before I get started, let me just start by saying, I think Atlanta is a VERY underrated city. Aside from the sometimes-horrendous traffic, I think Atlanta just has so many things to do- whether it’s the abundance of nature trails and hiking areas or the ultra-urban lifestyle downtown. It has a myriad of Fortune 500 companies and accompanying fancy, glass skyscrapers. Prices are also quite reasonable, and it has so much history to explore throughout the entire city. I would definitely live there given the chance.

Day 1: We landed in Atlanta and got picked up by our family friends! These are people who I’ve known my entire life and every time we meet, it’s like a wave of nostalgia overcomes me and makes me feel comforted. Sometimes I feel like I can just spend hours reminiscing about all of our childhood memories and laugh with them.

Day 2: My friend and I visited the waterfalls at Roswell Mills at Vickery Creek Trail. This was a beautiful, short hike to see small cascading waterfalls over a rocky cliff. I would say it’s one of the best hikes in the Chattahoochee River area. There is something just so serene and tranquil about waterfalls. It’s almost like they symbolize the flowing of negative energies. This area is also very historic and holds remnants of an old textile mill. We even saw a pelican at standstill, waiting for its next catch of fish. After our hike, we feasted at Moxie Burger, ordering a delicious meal of chicken sandwiches and zucchini fries.

Day 3: I interviewed and got accepted for a job at a Big 4 firm! This was definitely a surreal experience, as I had been in process of applying to full-time roles and scrambling to find a career that I thought would be the ultimate culmination of both my previous internship experiences and my academia. It was almost a cathartic feeling to get the call saying I got the offer and I was filled with excitement for the rest of the day. My friend and I went to an outdoor shopping/eatery complex called “The Battery”, which also happened to be adjacent to the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium. We walked around, soaking in the Atlanta sun, and eating gelato from Antico pizza while doing so. I highly recommend an afternoon at the Battery for a weekend day trip, work happy hour, or any other occasion.

Day 4: We met up with my cousins/aunt/uncle and explored the Atlanta Botanical Gardens! This is a 30-acre botanical garden that houses a myriad of plants- flowers, vegetables, and all kinds of succulents. There was a rose garden, orchid garden, and a gargantuan conservatory that had tall bamboo shoots, and even housed poisonous dart frogs. It felt like I was in the midst of an actual rainforest. We even saw an Indian wedding happening in the center and enjoyed the tunes of familiar Bollywood music playing.

Day 5: On my last day in Atlanta, we visited North Point Mall, and got boba tea with my little cousin. We also went shopping and enjoyed the wide selection in stores like H&M and Forever 21. As we left in the evening, we saw a beautiful, pink sky. Sometimes it’s the little things in life like a colorful sky to demonstrate the beauty of the Earth and all that it has to offer.

Throughout the trip, I made sure I logged everything I did so that I could recount all that I did. That’s something I want to do with all of my memories- jot them down so that I could relive them, and cherish them. Atlanta has a very, very special place in my heart. It’s where I had my very first job back in 2019. It’s where I was able to experience life as a real adult, making real money, for the very first time. Having that first internship at Macy’s Technology gave me the kind of confidence and sense of fulfillment that I never had before in my life. I can’t wait to visit my home-away-from-home once again when the time comes. If anyone wants any recommendations for places to visit in ATL, feel free to contact me! Thanks again for reading my blog and joining me in my journey through life and its unexpected twists and turns, I love having you here.