Memorial Day In Atlanta

I hope you all had a delightful weekend. Mine was spent lollygagging, being in denial about Ali’s death, and rolling my eyes at Serena’s loss in her last match, but all of that is over now.

If you read my latest Screenshot my Month you’ll know I spent my holiday weekend in Atlanta for my first large academic conference. It was brought to my attention it’s rare for me to go into detail about my trips, so I thought now would be a good time to remedy that. I predict to do a nice amount of travel over the next year, so this will get me into the habit of sharing.

What I Packed

Thursday: This is when I completed my last minute packing and errands. I rode down from the Charlotte Area -where I’m interning- to Atlanta with my friend and her fiancé.  We had great conversation on the ride down: pop culture, pro-blackness, concerts, wedding plans, and future. I decided to wear a sleeved, maxi, black dress from Gap I snagged from my mom’s closet a couple years ago. I know for a fact it’s older than me, but you wouldn’t know it. I also have my fuzzy socks,because the first thing I do during a road trip is kick off my shoes. Perks of being a rider. Eventually we made it to Atlanta, because you know holiday traffic is terrible, settled into my AirBnB, where I was greeted with warm smile, fruit, and bottle of rosé. I could go on and go about my host, but I won’t. I’ll save that for another post, since this was my first time using AirBnB, but I will say I ended my trip pleased.

Friday: This was my big day. RSA ran from Friday to Sunday and I presented on the first day, much like I did at my last conference. However, someone on my panel had a conflict and our time was switched from 9:30 AM to 3:30PM. Let me tell you, I’ve never seen people reply to an email so quickly than the ones a few months back which flooded my inbox confirming the next time worked for everyone on the panel. That morning I chatted with my host, listened to Chance the Rapper’s new album, checked in with my mommy, and headed out to hotel. I wore my black flats, patterned blue & black slacks, blue cami shell, and white blazer. Once I was registered, had received my conference swag, and gained my bearing I set off to find some food.

After walking around a bit, I texted my friend Bijan ,who attends school in the area, for suggestions. After a walk through the park and bouncing to Gucci Mane, they freed him 4 months early, I stumbled upon Flats. It’s a cute little place across from Centennial Olympic Park and adjacent to  Centennial Olympic Park,  owned by an afro-Cuban gentleman. The food was fresh, bright, and tasty aka how I wanted my day to remain.

Once my tum tum was full, it was time to mosey back to the hotel and link up with some folks from my uni. Then it was time to drop into a couple panels which piqued my interest and prep for my own presentation. I was the last person, which worked to to my benefit, because I didn’t have to included some fact and quotes. In the end, people were shocked to find out I was an undergrad and a bit of networking occurred.

I ended my day snapping photos of the city, grabbing dinner in midtown while watching the game, and streaming the latest episode of Outlander on Starz. Before I headed out to grab a fit to eat I switched my tote for my Kate Spade crossbody.

Saturday: My AirBnB host showed me around her neighourhood, which is a growing area in Atlanta Proper, and we shared a delightful conversation about our experiences as black women in America. Then I was off to the conference for more networking and listening to panels. Afterwards I grabbed some Starbucks (the barista spelled my name correctly without my help! I was so geeked, but Photos ate my picture of my cup *side eye*) with my friend and rambled on with her until my godmom picked me up to enjoy the JazzFest. The music was fantastic, the breeze held off the heat some, and the quality time at the park with my loved ones was much appreciated. Then I went back home with my godmom where we had drinks, dinner, and Netflix time. It was my first time visiting her new home since she downgraded, it was so freaking cute. It’s how I image my starter home. Also she has a new dog named Zeus who is my new best friend. He’s a 7 month old husky and if I could’ve he would’ve come back to NC with me.

Lakeview for the Jazz

Sunday: More bonding time with Godmommy, Zeus,and my godbrother. I decided to throw my jeans back on with a white T-shirt and my black blazer. Then my uncle (who is an entertainment blogger)  picked me up for brunch. I hadn’t seen him in about 6 or 7 years, so it was a delight to reconnect with him in person. After some sightseeing and quality time, he dropped me back off so I could get packed up. Before I knew it, it was time to leave ATL.

It was such a short trip , and I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but I’ll be returning again before the summer is over.  Anywho, hope I didn’t bore yall to