What I Love about Atlanta

My Blog is officially 2 years old!

Wow,  May of 2013 seems so long ago. When I first started this blog I only thought that I would have it for about a year before I got distracted and starting doing something else, but I’m happy that I stuck with my guns and chose to keep going with it. Just think about it, when I started this I was nervous about moving in with my fiance, Lorenzo, and now we are getting married next week! Wow.

So with my blog being 2 years old that means that next month will be my 2 year anniversary of actually living in Atlanta. I still feel really “new” here because there is still so much I don’t know. For example, I’ve learned that people give directions by street names as opposed to exit numbers, like we do in Jersey. You want to go to Six Flags? Take Exit 7A off the Turnpike- that’s how we give directions. Here in Atlanta, they may tell you to the the Mableton Exit…or something to that effect. So I have to learn exit names instead of just exit numbers, and no I don’t know the name of the exit where I live.

I’ve enjoyed my time here. Even though I think Lorenzo and I would be able to make the best out of most situations, I really like living here, and here’s why:

It’s very quiet. Working in NY you always hear sirens, honking horns, bullhorns, and just the hustle and bustle of the always crowed Times Square. New Jersey was quieter than New York, but still not a huge improvement.

It’s Clean. Well, most places are. Where I live and work its very clean and well kept. Its rare to see trash on the ground or piled up on the sidewalk.

The food is amazing. While NY/NJ has an outstanding selection of dining experiences, I just think the food here tastes better. I’ve put on 20 lbs. since I’ve moved here, something I’ve never been able to do up north. I also have to take into account that I don’t walk as much as I used to because you have to drive everywhere, but that’s besides the point. I love the food.

Winter is not that bad. And Spring seems to come early. Yay. I’m definitely a summer person, so I love, love, LOVE warmer weather. I know that I teased about the whole, declaring a state of emergency over 2 inches of snow, but I see why they have to do that now. I love that it doesn’t snow that much here. Dealing with 20-something inch blizzards is a nightmare.

There’s still a lot I haven’t done yet. I know that Atlanta is not as big as New Jersey and New York, but let’s be honest, when I was living there I never really took advantage of everything they had to offer. I’d only been to Six Flags once, I’ve been to Atlantic City a few times, and I haven’t gone to see the Statue of Liberty until I was 27. Most New Yorkers have never been there, ever. I’ve done a fair share of touristy things since moving here, but I know there’s still a lot more to do.

I’m not quite done with Atlanta yet. There is still so much more to experience.

Missing New York

I need to make a trip back home. I miss my family and friends, and I miss being in New York.

Even though I am from New Jersey, I’ve spent a great deal of time in New York as well. From family trips there as a kid, to partying there in my early 20’s, to working there as a professional for almost a decade before I moved to Georgia.

New York is a great place to visit. If you are the kind of person who likes the idea of “the big city”, likes having a lot do to and a lot to see, I would recommend to go there at least once. I know there are lot of people who like the serenity of the country side as a opposed to a major city, so this post is not for you today (sorry).

I don’t think I would ever live in New York City, a.k.a Manhattan, a.k.a “the City”. It’s every expensive, very crowded, and very LOUD. The crowds and the noise drove me crazy when I worked there. My job was located right in Rockefeller Center, so I was right in the middle of a tourist trap and stuck in all the holiday crowds.

But I had access to some of the best stuff. Here are the things I miss the most about New York:

1. All the free stuff you would get from promoters advertising their businesses. I’ve gotten free sodas, cupcakes, hummus & pretzel snacks, and once I got a female condom!

2. Food trucks. Well, the food, period. You can eat food from all over the world in NY. You can visit a different place to eat for every meal, every single day, for years. I’m not sure how many years but it’ll take you long while.

3. Speaking of food: S’mac. Enough said.

4. The Shopping. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, and purses galore. NY changed their tax policy to almost match NJ’s when it came to clothes. New Jersey doesn’t charge sales taxes on clothes, but NY did, so now there are no taxes until you spend over $110 (this may or my not still be true, but it was when I lived there).

5. There is SO much to do. Other than the traditional touristy stuff like going to a Broadway play and visiting Times Square and Central Park, websites like Lifebooker and Groupon made it even better because I was able to get deals on things I normally wouldn’t have done or found businesses that I wouldn’t have found on my own. I’ve used Lifebooker to book dance classes (belly dancing, salsa, etc), make up lessons, facials, teeth whitening, beauty products, photography lessons, and all kids of other stuff. It was super convenient because most of those things I was able to do right after work so it didn’t inconvenience me on my commute back to Jersey.

6. There were things to do for any budget. Just like there were places to party and eat that are on the high end, there were just as many hole-in-the-wall kind of places for those of use who don’t “have it like that”. This especially came in handy when I was a struggling college student trying to have a good time while keeping my spending down.

I miss New York.

I need to go back home…soon.

Learning to Live with Loss

While I generally don’t like to report bad news, I still need to be able to express what’s happening with me so that I can get it out of my head. The past two weeks will probably rank high on my “toughest things I’ve had to deal with in life” list. Losing someone is always a shock, especially when its completely unexpected no matter how it happens. I lost a friend recently, not to an accident or something tragic, but due to natural causes. Because I want to respect her family’s privacy, I won’t go into detail about her medical history.

I met her when I moved here last year; I went to a Meetup.com event for women in Atlanta at a bar somewhere in Midtown where there was going to be a live band playing. She and I started chatting, you know that usual-where are you from, what do you do, how long have you lived here stuff. We exchanged numbers and have been in touch ever since. She was originally from Queens, New York and had relocated to Atlanta about 7 years ago-completely by herself. She had friends that moved from NY to ATL, but they all ended up moving back and she decided to stay. She was single and dating, had a good job and was looking for better employment. She would always send me job openings that she found that she thought I would be a good fit for. I used to make time to have lunch with her, visit her at her house, we bought each other Christmas and Birthday Gifts. Because she was so used to living alone, I never wanted to impede too much on her space so whenever she told me she just wanted to rest or stay at home I didn’t push it.

She was so smart and funny, focused and goal oriented. She still had a New York accent so talking to her always made me feel like I was still close to home. There was no drama with her, I felt like she and I could have been friends for years.

Lorenzo and I found her in her home after I received an email from one of her friends asking me to check on her because they haven’t heard from her all week. When I thought about it, I remembered that she wasn’t responding to any of my text messages either. The worst part about finding her was having to call her mother to tell her that her daughter had passed away. She was only 34 years old.

Lorenzo and I did everything we could to help her mother and her family deal with this tragedy. Her other friends that lived here in Atlanta also came out to help as much as they could. We buried her yesterday; her mother decided to keep her here in Atlanta because she knew she loved it here. I felt relieved when I found out because at least now I can go visit her.

Knowing that life is so short, losing so many of my own family members over the years, and being in the military has made me somewhat comfortable with the concept of death. Its not something anyone wants to think about, but its something we are all going to face sooner or later so it just reinforces how we all need to be prepared for it when the time comes, whether it be by having a Will,  life insurance, etc. Having to deal with losing someone you love will be hard enough, your family shouldn’t have to deal with worrying about how to pay for the funeral or how to manage your affairs.

I know that she is in a better place now, where this is no more pain. I don’t question why this happened, I just wonder why it happened so soon. I’m going to miss her so much.

Rest in peace L.T.L.