Food, Friends, Art, and Coffee

Hello again! I thought that I’d end yet another infamous and periodic bit of radio silence with a post about an adventure I went on back in—what was it now, January? Man that was so long ago now.

Anyway, a while ago I went to Cabbagetown with the lovely ladies I am going to be sharing an apartment with next year! Three of us were already friends, and I was friends with the fourth. Before this, though, the two and the one actually had yet to meet each other, so an introductory excursion was definitely in order. And preferably one with breakfast food and cute photo ops.

So we had brunch at the Carroll Street Cafe, a cute little place with an abundance of both coffee and mimosas, depending on how old you are. The biscuits are the best too, highly recommend. Afterwards, we walked down the road and took a right to walk along the lengthy wall full of murals. We wandered all the way down to the Krog Street Tunnel, taking pictures and chatting and joking along the way.

After our adventure, we headed back to campus to do homework, as it was a Sunday and we are all typical Tech students. Not wanting the expedition to die completely, we went to Amelie’s for yet another change of scenery. And coffee.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, full of food and friends and art and coffee, which is basically all anyone could ever need. I am so looking forward to rooming with my friends in the fall. I can’t wait to decorate our apartment, to have movie nights, to have four walls to myself, to joke and tell stories in the evenings, to cook in a real life kitchen, to have a dishwasher… And, of course, I can’t wait to go on more adventures like this one too.

The Adventures of Lauren & Stank

On Saturday, January 28th, I met Christine (affectionately called “Stank” since some time around tenth grade) in West Midtown for our very favorite meal of the day. Our favorite because it’s Leslie Knope’s favorite, mostly, but also because it’s dang delicious.

We ate brunch at West Egg, which I had never been to before. We waited outside in the sunshine for a good thirty minutes, but it was extremely worth it. It also gave us a chance to catch up, and I got to know her friend who was visiting too. We were all rewarded for our patience, not just with each others’ company, but with delicious food and wonderful weather. And coffee.

After breakfast, we wandered around the area for a bit. We saw a tiny coffee shop made out of a shipping container, saw shops and cool urban-looking renovations. We then found the murals. The blue one is outside of Bartaco off of Howell Mill, and it was right beside the Merchant, a cute stationery shop that we promptly visited next. After saying goodbye to the new friend, I took the old to the West Side Cultural Arts Center right down the street. I had been there once before, but was pleasantly surprised by how close it was.

It was a lovely morning (or early afternoon?) full of lovely weather, great friends, awesome street art, and amazing food. It was such a treat to be able to explore new places and get to see one of my oldest and best friends, and I can’t wait to do it again soon.

Macarons, Murals, and More Studying

Amelie’s French Bakery is one place that I researched before coming to college and have wanted to visit for a while. It seemed so cute, and was only a little ways off of campus. The address was already saved in my phone. 

One weekend, Avery and I decided two things: one, that we wanted to walk around, and two, that we wanted to study somewhere new. So I mentioned macarons and murals, and off we skipped. 

The walk there was a little sketchy, but we quickly discovered which roads to stick to. We arrived no worse for wear, and ready for coffee. Their iced coffee was particularly delicious. And, of course, the macarons. 

After a couple hours spent relishing our French treats (and studying), we headed out. On the side of the bakery is a really pretty mural, so…of course we had to take some pictures too~

Buzzing About

My very first weekend on campus was spent in a flurry of new friends and sugary treats. (People bond over sugar, I’ve learned. I love this, though, as I love sugar—especially when it’s free!) It went by in a flash—a happy, exciting, fun, stress-free flash.

On Saturday, several of us rode together to Ponce City Market. I had been to the Beltline before, but never actually in the warehouse-turned-bohemian-restaurant-shopping-hotspot beside it. (It was really neat, but REALLY crowded, as it was the weekend.)

Eventually, we ditched the crowds and walked to the Beltline outside. It was like returning to the mothership. The murals were calling me. So, however, were popscicles, so when it got too hot and we decided to leave, we quite literally hit a popsicle stand. (Or is it “blow” the popsicle stand…)

On Sunday, my roommate and I wandered about. We became familiar with each other and the campus around us. We found our classes so that we’d be ready for Monday, found the lecture halls and department buildings we thought we might need to know of. We pieced together our new situations as we buzzed about.

All the while, I grew more accustomed to living on my own, surrounded by peers and new friends, in the middle of a huge and exciting city. It was nice transition into dining hall food, long walks, and communal bathrooms. It was the perfect adjustment before classes started on Monday.

I had fun, and I took pictures~

Everything was hopelessly expensive but I really liked the aesthetic.

The Beltline is the best!

Balcony/apartment goals.

We stopped by King of Pops on our way out 🙂

Wandering around campus.

Amanda, please!

I’m obsessed with the city sky.

I struggled to hang pictures on the wall in my room…

…but they promptly fell down. (After taking this picture, actually.)