Athens Farmers Market

It's one of my favorite events of the week in Athens. On Wednesday afternoons, the Farmers Market sets up at City Hall and offers visitors of all walks of life a chance to buy some delicious, delicious food. I find it so much sweeter and more personal than a supermarket. I get to meet the guy that picked the blueberries and cut the flowers from the vine that morning. The things I bought were too pretty not to share.

"The Comerian" Sourdough Bread at the Market.

The sandwiches I've made with the bread are out of this world.

Cooked these at 400F for 35 minutes with EVOO, Rosemary, S&P.

I may never buy blueberries from the grocery store again.

The flowers were an impulse buy, definitely unnecessary but I sure love looking at them when I walk in the kitchen. My time in Athens is coming to an end and I've been holding on to every little moment, like the Market and the great bands at Athfest I saw this weekend. Taking the time to look around and smell the flowers isn't just an option, it's the only option in a town like Athens, Georgia.

Pressfolio: A MUST for Online Writers

You know you're growing up when discovering new career websites can be the highlight of your day. A few weeks ago, I received an invite for Pressfolios from a blogger friend but I hadn't tried it out. Yesterday, I read an article from USA Today College about the site so I figured I'd give it a shot. Now I love it. Pressfolios is that "thing" you needed that you didn't realize you needed as a journalist, writer or communications worker.

It's a user-friendly professional website without the code and confusion. You can customize the aesthetics of the page, offer your contact information, a biography and professional statement. After entering the URL's of the press releases and blog posts that I've written over the last few years, I went through and edited the photos and dates of publication. You can sort them by type or date or topic. It's really impressive.

I've been stressed out about finding a job (duh) because I feel like a resume and cover letter fail to fully convey the person writing the words (me). But Pressfolios is taking a step in the right direction. Now, I have a saved archive of all my online writing that I can show to employers without the scrambling and fear of the dreaded "This page cannot be displayed" screen when asked for a strong writing sample. You can create your own URL so the page is easy to find and high on SEO results, too.

So, for all the the writers out there, I highly recommend setting aside an hour or so and make a Pressfolio account. Get it all out there, sit back, and be proud of all you have to show for yourself.

Take a look at mine!

Finale

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

It may have been the most poignant line Cornell grad Andy Bernard ever spoke. The Office ended this month after nine seasons on NBC and while the Dunder-Mifflin staff will forever live on in cable syndication, it's hard not to call it the end of an era. To me, it's perfect that television finales often fall at the end of a school year. If the show follows high school or college students, graduation is the best way to end a season. It's all about celebration, looking back at where we've come from and dreaming about the future. Maybe there will be a couple moving to different states for jobs or school and many people anxious about where the next years will take them. When the next season started, things would be different but all the beautiful people would be tanned from the summer.

On May 10th, I graduated from the University of Georgia. Bam. I mean, about 5,200 other guys and gals were there with me, dressed in our black robes, caps tilted by heavy tassels causing hat hair (it happens yall.. be prepared), waving and smiling at people that we'll probably never see again. That guy in your public speaking class or some girls on your hall from freshman year or maybe some you think you'll see again. It's like, throughout college your path makes a road and bends and turns and for the most part, I was really happy with the way that all went. Then at the end, you turn around and it's like WHOA. The little things matter. The decision to do this and not that, to go abroad or not go abroad, to go to a concert or not go to a concert... not knowing you'd meet a boy who'd change your life... I digress. Then you sigh and turn back around and hopefully smile at the beauty of it all.

The festivities continued over two days and wish it could have lasted longer! Everything was so much fun, so perfect. It couldn't have been better. I'll be spending the next few weeks in Athens and traveling to Hilton Head and planning a pretty special Mediterranean trip with my sister. So much to look forward to!

Hoop Girls: End of An Era

Whole group after the Kentucky game!

I remember walking into my Hoop Girls interview at Stegeman Coliseum in late August of 2009. Some older girls at chapter stood up and talked about it; I figured, "Why not?". Starting college was super overwhelming and the idea of being involved with a basketball team felt comfortable after being the Sports Editor for The Catalyst and Wheeler's 2009 AAAAA State Championship. Good times.

Hoop Girls became one of my favorite parts of college. We were the marketing and support team for Men's Basketball; we sold tickets, handed out programs, worked Hospitality rooms, promoted philanthropy events and shared news from the Athletic Association to the student body. There were a lot of great things happening for the program my freshman year. UGA just hired a new coach, Mark Fox, and expectations were high around campus. 

A 2010 game

Throughout the last four years, I've met some of my best friends, enjoyed some delightful wins and devastating heartbreaks, and a beautiful facility renovation to Stegeman. Every step of the way, our advisor, John Bateman, was there for whatever we needed. It was so assuring to have such a great teacher, mentor and friend during my time at UGA. 

Seniors!

On Thursday, we ended the (regular) season with a win over Kentucky at home. I couldn't think of a better way to end the season and my four years as a Hoop Girl. I'm excited to see what the future holds for Coach Fox's program and the girls in our group, including a Homecoming Queen, future doctors, media rock stars and spectacular leaders. We'll split different ways in a few months, but we'll always be welcomed back to Stegeman. Once a HG, always an HG... Right JB?

Seniors after the UK game with Coach Richt!

Sunflower

One of my goals on my 21 Before 21 list was

17. Buy a piece of art by Jamie Calkin.

I've loved his watercolors of Downtown Athens since freshman year, but as a college student, collecting art isn't necessarily most practical use of money. I saw him at the North Georgia Folk Festival and couldn't take my eyes off this stunning 3x3 Sunflower painted on a wood panel. It's now hanging perfectly above my bed. I wake up smiling every morning.

I'm glad I waited.

Museum Mix at the Georgia Museum of Art

I originally wrote this post for my internship at Visit Athens, GA, but wanted to share it here, too! Follow the blog for more of my writing!

Wednesday night October 24, The Georgia Museum of Art hosted Museum Mix, a spectacular event designed to celebrate the arts in a casual setting. From 8 to midnight, guests danced, mingled, and explored the exhibits currently featured in the galleries.

One of my closest friends is a volunteer docent at the Museum and I always enjoy attending their events. The University and Athens are lucky to have such a widely respected institution to celebrate and enjoy!

Guests were welcomed with complimentary beverages and hors d’ouvres from Earth Fare. The dips were a hit! Outside, people danced surrounded by the Defiant Beauty: The Work of Chakaia Booker sculptures created from recycled materials.  It was unlike any event I’d ever attended. The idea of laughing and dancing at a museum may seem strange, but art is about enjoying life in all its forms! GMOA definitely understands that idea.

My favorite exhibit on display were the polyester resin sculptures in the De Wain Valentine: Human Scale. These huge rounded pieces were an incredible feat of artistic creation; some measured eight feet tall! I just stood in the gallery for about fifteen minutes in awe.The next Museum Mix is scheduled for April 25, but do yourself a favor and visit GMOA soon! 

Check out our website for more information about the Georgia Museum of Art, including event listings and visiting hours. 

I went to Iowa!

Downtown Iowa City

I really, really liked the people I spent four months with in Rome. We saw each other every day and basically created a family. Then, after four months we flew back across the Atlantic; hoping we’d all see each other again someday… but you never know.

Four of my favorite people at AUR happened to go to the University of Iowa. They didn’t know each other before the semester, but we all clicked. Five months away from Katie, Lauren and Andy were five months too many. So, I flew to Iowa City for the weekend.

Iowa City is a college town through and through, a lot like Athens. You’ll find a thriving downtown, full of unique shops and eateries. Hopefully a thriving arts scene, and an energy that only comes from being home to 30,000 or so 18-22 year olds. Iowa City has it all.

If you’re paying attention to the news, you know we have a pretty major election coming up in about ten days. Iowa’s a swing state, and a pretty damn important one at that. LITERALLY every other television commercial supported either Obama or Romney. Volunteers gathered in the streets asking passer-by’s if they had voted, were voting, planning on voting; it was insane. The President spoke on campus about two weeks before I visited. Wonder how well that’d go over at UGA.

Speaking of Georgia, I love you but I was SURE tired of having to explain why I say “y’all” like it’s no big deal. Conversations would go something like this:

Me: blah blah blah y’all blah blah

Other: Wait, did you just say y’all? Where are you from? Why are you here?

      Me: I’m from Georgia, visiting some friends I met studying abroad.

      Other: Wait so like, does everyone in Georgia say y’all? I don’t get it.

      Me: Yeah, a lot of people say it. Is it really that big of a deal?

      Other: I mean I don’t know anyone who says y’all.

Probably had some form of that conversation about twenty times but the people were great. My friends are great!

Katie, her Roommates and me!

Plus, there was football. The Iowa-Penn State game was a big game and the city was rowdy. Iowa lost pretty bad, but they certainly won the party. Late Friday night, the Iowa Marching Band paraded through the streets for the bar-goers.

Iowa River Tailgate

YUM!

Amy!!

We tailgated along the Iowa River, listened Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean and played “bags”. In the Peach State, we call it Cornhole. Just another fun fact.

The entire weekend was incredible. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to see my friends and experience their world in Iowa City.

Five months felt like five minutes. Y’all come south for winter!

:)

College & Pets: Great Idea

It's been proven that pets are good for your health. Depressed? Get a dog. They won't let you stay in bed all day. Because we're big travelers, my family never adopted a pup because it would be a big burden. Instead, we stuck with cats. One cat in particular. Oreo was quite a kitty. His domain extended for about a half mile around our house. He would "bark" at bugs and brought us "presents" weekly, including a lizard on Mother's Day and two bunnies in the week before Easter. He was a great cat. When we were sad or sick, he would stay nearby. They just know. Our new guy, Ollie (cute pictures!!), does the same thing. He's fiesty. He loves biting feet but when I'm bummed, he's a good buddy.

 
But I'm not fighting the facts here: dogs are better choice in the pet category if you can devote the time. They have more personality. They'll let you dress them in cute little outfits (not that I agree with it) and there's a reason cat parks don't exist. They would be so boring.

College is hard. As students, we go from being taken care of by family, to taking care of ourselves for the first couple of years, then getting to the point where we kinda want something to take care of. Crazy cycle, huh? Ollie's still a kitten and I personally believe he was devestated when my sister & I left for college. So, when my parents headed to the beach for two weeks, I offered to bring him to Athens for his own little 'vacation'.

Ollie loves Athens, or more specifically, my house in Athens. Yes, he's still biting but I've come home every day this week to a sleepy-eyed kitty and it's made me so happy. Not that things haven't been going well. I'm happier than ever. But, there are so many animals that need a great homes and shelters are overwhelmed. It's devastating to know those animals could make people as happy as Ollie makes me, but only if it's something agreed upon by roommates. Living together can be difficult enough. Throwing another life into the mix can be downright tricky. But, when it works, it's great. I don't want him to leave!

A Love Letter to College Freshmen

My sweet friend Margaret sent me this post a few days ago and it hit my heart. It feels just as applicable to me now as it would have in August 2009, but I wanted to share it with you all. I attached the link at the bottom if you want to view More Love Letters, because they're amazing. Now, I'm looking for that "Love Letter to a College Senior".

Dear You–
It may just be you & I up and awake in the world right now.
Just you… the quiet of a new dorm room… the glow of the laptop screen… this love letter… and a feeling webbing deep in your stomach that you may never get used to all this.
Ever.
It’s not true. You’re going to do just fine. You’re already doing just fine even if it’s one of the hardest things to convince yourself of when the tears are brinking and you just want to go back home: Back to comfort. High school. A boyfriend & friendships now sitting in the pile of  “long distance.” Bonfires. Summer. Familiarity. Anything but this.
It’ll be the best four years of your life… that’s what they’re telling you, right? That—if done right—these next four years will sculpt you & change you & make you ready for the real world. Truth told: this is the real world. It’s yours. Stop thinking otherwise. Don’t let a moment more slip away.

These next four years are yours to be entirely & completely selfish.

To figure out “you” and how “you” make this world a better place. So start…
Start at the coffee bar. That’s a good place to start. Just visit the coffee bar and treat yourself to something sweet—you’re in college. It’s something to celebrate.
Knock awkwardly on the doors of your new neighbors. Everyone is waiting for someone to make the first move and plan a powwow. Be that person. Decide that tonight it is the football game and tomorrow it is popcorn and a movie night in your room. Pick a movie that is both drama & comedy, with traces of home & familiarity in it for each of you.
Befriend your RA. They are not the enemy. They are here to make every ounce of this easier for you… and they’d really appreciate the chance to try.

Call home when you have to. Cry your eyes out. Take slow slugs of the broth of homesickness in the morning.

It’s ok… It’s ok…

Let the homesickness in. Don’t push it out. Talk about it. Embrace it. It will head south eventually… I promise.

Write letters. To your friends at other schools. To your long distance boyfriend. To teachers back home. Glitter the maps with your cursive to one another. Give one another a reason to track back the campus mailbox for something other than a free pizza coupon. You’ll keep those letters for years & years. You’ll one day say that there is nothing like those letters you’ve kept stacked in a box beside your bed.
And on the note of friends… step away from Facebook for a little while. Not forever. Not for always. Just enough time to be present to the here & now. The meeting of new faces. The conversations at parties. The ice breakers that, yes, you clearly don’t want to do but should anyway. Be there for it. All of it. Don’t sit in the feeds of your friends back home; start new chapters that would make them proud.
Follow. Just follow wherever this year takes you. You’ll change. It’s inevitable. But don’t shy away from the change or the chance to develop into a better friend… a better leader… a better somebody. Accept it. When people grow distant and old relationships don’t fuel you anymore, just accept it. That’s life. It’s always happening. Clear away and cut the ties you need to cut… make room for Better & More. You’ll find best friends in this place…
Don’t go crazy looking for them. You’ll find one another and in a year from now you’ll wonder how there ever was a whole two decades of Not Knowing One Another. For now, just meet people. Sink into it naturally. You’ll get there. I promise. Just find the places where people are and start there.
A club. A meeting. The newspaper. Something. Anything. Not just for social purposes– your resume is going to start mattering sooner than you think… take it seriously.

And classes too—Go. To. Them. 8am or not—Show. Up.

Study. Try harder than you’ve ever tried before. Consider a time management course. Take at least one course that interests you… thrills you… makes you think. & don’t rush to choose a major. There’s time to get your feet wet with the muds of it all.
Most of all, embrace it. All of it. The new opportunities. The events on campus. The free stuff. The chance to grow apart from everything you’ve ever know. The chance to be someone you have always wanted to be…
Sit down during this first week of college… take out a piece of paper… and write it all down. Your hopes & your dreams  & your goals for the next four years. Who do you want to become? What do you want to accomplish? It’s time to start all of this.
Write it all down. Put it in an envelope. Seal it up and scribble “Do not open until college graduation day,” in big, bold letters. And tuck it somewhere safe…
Get clear on what you want to make of these next four years and then go out and do it…
You’ve got this. You’ve really got this. And if ever you start to believe that you don’t, come find me.
Love,
Someone who has been there before. 

This love letter was written by founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, Hannah Brencher. Brencher stands by the idea of writing a “Dear College” letter. This love letter was inspired by the love letter she wrote to herself on the first night of college. Brencher sealed the love letter in an envelope & did not open it until her graduation day in 2010. 

Dig in further to her journey with love letters HERE.

 

21 Before 21

The day is quickly approaching. I'm almost 21! Everyone has a birthday. At some point, a massive majority of the population will turn 21. It's not THAT big of a deal, but I'm turning 21 on Friday. Considering the drinking age is "Can you reach the bar?" in Italy, it's a bit anti-climatic. I won't be parading around Athens with a big sign around my neck. Instead, I'll be spending the day with my lovely friends turned family in Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast in southwest Italy.

It's a trip that's been planned by ISA, our wonderful study abroad program and I've been looking forward to it since January! I'm so excited that I'll get to spend this special day in a beautiful place with people I have quickly grown to love.

Last summer, I made a 'Bucket List' of sorts, a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I could legally go get some beer down at Five Points Bottle Shop. Then in September, I decided to come to Rome for the Spring. Some of the things I wanted to accomplish haven't gotten done, or more specifically, they've been postponed until I get back to real life in May. Sigh.

A lot of things on this list, like 2. Ring the Chapel Bell or 9. Give Blood, I probably would have done anyway, but writing them down and saying I would accomplish these things gave them a sense of importance. Plus, I like lists.

I probably could have gotten through 21 books, but I've been a little busy for the last few months exploring Europe. Thirteen is a valiant effort though, I think. Not only did I visit the Vatican City in July, but I have also been to Belgium, Malta and the Czech Republic.

Running my first 5K was great. I'm so glad I did it, even though I haven't ran much since. That's what this summer will be for. Natasha Bedingfield, cool lady. My sister, Natalie will get to Rome next Thursday and we'll travel together! I wasn't too aggressive about finding anyone to teach me to drive a stick shift, but they have them all over Italy and I still have two days. It's possible. I went to Cine and saw Melancholia with Ashley Hanna, one of my favorite people in the world. Super intense movie though.

Homeless Shelter, tough.
Cleaning out my room & the subsequent garage sale, even tougher.
Selling things on eBay, fun! Plus, making money is always nice.
Restoring my grandmothers chest of drawers was extremely rewarding.

...Then... I messed up. Traveling to Hong Kong, California and NYC didn't happen because I've been traveling to many other wonderful places. The cities will still be there, and my friends will still be in the cities.

Also, one does not simply "learn" Final Cut Pro and Photoshop. Too vague. People spend their entire careers on these programs, and still learn new tricks and quirks every day. So, if we say that by "learn" I mean I have a basic understanding, then I guess I "learned" them.

Tattoo, glad I did it.
Georgia Theater, I am so so happy you're back. We're going to have a fun summer.

So there were 8 things on the List I didn't fully accomplish, but here's another 8 things that I did accomplish over the last year that I'm proud of but couldn't have planned for this time last year.

1. Live in an apartment without a washing machine, microwave or dishwasher with five other girls.
2. Go to a European Football Match.

AS Roma vs. Parma in February

3. Eat the proclaimed "best pizza in the world" at da Michele's in Naples.

4. Go to Carnivale in Venice
5. See Tuscany covered in snow.

Siena

6. Move into my first house in Athens and enjoy a great semester with my lovely roommates, who I miss dearly.

7. Attend the Georgia/Florida football game at the end of October, and watch UGA beat the Gators.

8. Have my blog hit 4,000 views.

I think there are still so many more things I could add to this list of beautiful surprises, but I said eight, so I'll stick with eight. There are a lot of you back in the States who I wish could be here, celebrating my 21st birthday this weekend. But I'm content knowing that I'll be home in May, or June, or sometime and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. We'll celebrate soon, and I'll bring the limoncello. 

come si dice midterms, en italiano?

I don't know how to say midterms in Italian, but they still exist. I have a Mediterranean World presentation tomorrow, Film & Italian midterms on Wednesday and a Mediterranean World in-class essay midterm Thursday. Luckily, I have my mom and a peaceful hotel room to make studying a bit easier. And in the back of my mind, I remember I'll be in Malta on Friday.

AUR

Three weeks into class, I can definitely say that they have defied all of my expectations. I go to a small school. Faces are getting familiar. My professors know my name and I most certainly can't sit passively and listen to a boring professor without getting noticed by said professor for not being actively engaged in class.

I've been in some classes at UGA that have been small, but this is different somehow, and I like it!

In my "Mediterranean World" class on Thursday, we sat on the 6th floor terrace and overlooked Rome while talking about Mediterranean politics. Pinch me.

In my Feature Writing Class, we've read & discussed articles about Istanbul, Callista Gingrich, and Muslim leaders in Brooklyn.

In my Film Genres class, we have watched some INCREDIBLE movies that I may have otherwise never seen. I'll start with the shock.. I'd never seen The Matrix. Cue the Gasp. I don't know why, it just never happened but we watched it to analyze the western & action-adventure genre.

We've also watched Touch of Evil, a film noir by Orson Welles. I usually don't choose to watch black and white movies, but I enjoyed this SO much! I will definitely be watching more Orson Welles films when I get back to the States.

Today was the best. We began our unit on musicals and watched Top Hat, a film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Beautiful clothes, beautiful dancing. I had heard about the duo's talents as a part of American Culture, and now I understand how they were so iconic. In the picture below, Rogers is wearing this lovely ostrich feather dress that made the dancing look even more graceful.

Look how beautiful!!

Later in the Semester, we'll watch Moulin Rouge, 42nd St and a bunch of horror films. I could go without the horror, but maybe if I learn the iconology behind them, I won't be so scared. All of this at 9 AM on Mondays. Rage.

We're spending the weekend in Rome and I'm very excited to see the city with few other responsibilities or things to get done.

Hope you have a great weekend!!

io sono Clare y no sono italiano

The language barrier is tough over here in Roma. I'm getting by, but I'm the type of person who loves striking up a conversation with a stranger on the street or in a restaurant, but here, I can't do that to the same degree. A big smile and an attempt to say "Do you have monthly bus passes?" is sometimes met with compassion, and often with confusion.

For that reason, my Italian Language & Culture class has been great. Instead of dwelling on grammatical nuances, we're learning conversation and though we're only on the basics, I soak up every word because I know I'll walk outside the gate of the American University and appreciate everything I've learned.

I dropped my later class on Tuesdays & Thursdays, so I'll be done by noon tomorrow for the week! Helloooooo 4.5 day weekend!

We're going to Florence this weekend, and recieved an email from our program director warning,

"Ciao!
Forecasts for this weekend in Tuscany are crystal-clear:
FREEZING COLD (around 20-25 F)  and SNOW
so DRESS ACCORDINGLY (warm clothes, hat, scarf, gloves, etc.)
and take un UMBRELLA with you
ci vediamo venerdě
ISA staff"

I don't do too well in the cold, especially when I'm in a place known for its warm environment, so this should be.. interesting. I guess I'll just have to go back when it gets a little hotter. We booked our tickets for Venice next weekend. It's Carnivale, like Mardi Gras but in Italy. Should be a blast. 

Can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back!!

Someone go get a Chick-fil-a Chargrilled Sandwich in my honor, and maybe some queso, too. But not at the same time, unless you're by Alps Rd in Athens, then it just makes sense. 

back to school

First day of class. 9-3:30.

Late to campus, walked in wrong classroom for 10 minutes, got called out by my film teacher for being late, fell asleep watching the film but in my defense, we were watching Unforgiven, a Western film with Morgan Freeman & Clint Eastwood. We'll watch a film every Monday at 9 AM, meaning... I need to be wide awake walking into class.

It was cool getting to campus and already feeling like I knew a lot of people because of all the time we had together last week. My next class, at 12:30, was Feature Writing. We'll be writing journalistic stories that have more of a human interest angle, not just the 5W's and H. The toughest thing about the class will probably be brainstorming topics I'll find interesting enough to write about, especially with the language barrier between myself and the people I find interesting in Rome.

Then, Prapti & I went to get a cappuccino and a sandwich. FINALLY, I found a turkey sandwich, complete with mozzarella and arugula. So yummy.

Lastly, I went to Italian Language and Culture. We learned the proper ways to greet people and the present tenses of basic verbs, like 'I am' or 'io sono'. All my Spanish background makes it easier, but it's still not the same. However, I did have a nice little back & forth conversation with the man who sold me gelato tonight... and by a back and forth conversation I asked him how he was, Come sta? and then he said he was fine and asked me how I was. I replied "bene" of course, because I was about to have some chocolate chip gelato!

I came back from class and took about a two hour nap, then spent the rest of the evening researching plans for the weekend. Anyone want to submit to my travel fund? You'd think it'd be cheaper to fly in Europe. I wonder if they're all dupping us with this financial crisis in Italy. I've never seen people spent so much money on ice cream and pastries. Did I mention there's no sales tax?

Tomorrow, I'll go to my final two classes, The Mediterranean World and European Mass Media. For now, I'm off to bed.

Buena notte!

I'm not stepping out of my comfort zone, I'm practically running.

I

AM 

GOING

TO 

ROME 

FOR 

FOUR

MONTHS
!!!!!!!

I'll be studying at the American University of Rome, beginning in January until May. I couldn't be more thrilled. Get ready, this blog (and my life!) are about to get a lot more exciting.

Home Sweet House

I lived in the same room for 18 years. 
Same four walls, same window, same view, same creaks in the floor boards. 
Then, off to college. Dorms, then sorority house. 
 Now for my junior year, I am living in a house with three of my best friends. 

The location couldn't be much better, the rent is crazy cheap, our neighbors are awesome & thanks to my roommate, Julie, our awkward kitchen has become very efficient.

Rome wasn't built in a day, just scroll down to my last post if you don't believe me, so I know everything's going to come together nicely in the new little place, all in due time.

It feels really nice to be back in Athens this fall.
Even this week has been so productive and more than I could have asked for.

1. I got a job working as a Lab Monitor in the Mac Lab in the Journalism School. 
2. I'm going to my first concert at the Georgia Theatre tomorrow night to see The Whigs. Slowly crossing another experience off my 21 Before 21 list.
3. My classes are great. 

GET EXCITED. 

Safari Video

This is a video I did on iMovie for my Education & Technology class about the Safari in May!

Athens- The 8th Wonder of the World

Athens, GA has to be one of the greatest towns in America. I feel sorry for people that don't get to experience college here, but Athens is so much more than a college town. it's a hidden treasure, a melting pot of innovation, creativity and tradition.

I'm just going to list reasons i love athens. Tomorrow, there may be different reasons but I don't know what those reasons will be so here:

1. The local businesses create a community. My favorites? Oh goodness. This is going to be longer than I expected.

The Grit, Schoolkid's Records, Your Pie, Agora, Jittery Joe's, Yoguri, The Hub, Masada, 2 Story Coffeehouse, The Grill,

It's kinda like this, in high school when I wanted to study somewhere other than my house, I'd go to Borders, Panera, Starbucks. All of which are fine. When my family went out to eat: Chili's, Longhorn & the like. All big franchises with a big scale mentality. Locally owned and operated places are just... better.

2. Saturdays in the fall, when the Bulldogs play at home.

Ok forget truthfully devestating season we've suffered through so far. Maybe it will get better, I have faith in the potential of shame and the sheer terror Mark Richt is probably feeling at this moment. He's going to make it right. But there's nothing more exciting than seeing the campus & surrounding areas turn into an all out party. The babies sporting UGA onesies, the 70 year old men in suits using a cane to make their way to Sanford Stadium... it's a great thing.

3. It's close enough to everything you'd need in a big city, yet far enough away to feel far enough away. Does that make sense?

In less than 20 hours, I can be in... Marietta hangin with the fam, Downtown Atlanta, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Macon, Greenville, SC, on a plane out of Hartsfield-Jackson to anywhere in the world. Pretty cool right?

4. The history is everywhere you look.

The oldest state chartered university in the country, Civil War memorial, old homes & buildings built so beautifully, the urban legends, and the people behind those legends.

I see why people come to college here, go out to explore the world & end up right back where they started. I don't think that's a weakness or a fault, I think it shows a deep connection and for many, that connection to Athens is real.