atlanta was...fine? kinda?

so i just got back from atlanta and honestly, it was fine. not mind-blowing, but not terrible either. i mean, it's a city, right? there's traffic, there's people, there's stuff to do if you look for it. i landed at hartsfield-jackson, which is apparently the busiest airport in the world, so that was...something. it's huge. like, really huge. took me forever to get to baggage claim.

i checked the weather before i left, and it was 10.68°c with a feels-like of 9.61°c. so, yeah, kinda chilly. hope you like that kind of thing if you're planning a trip. i was not prepared, to be honest. packed for summer, got early spring. rookie mistake.

anyway, the city itself is...interesting. it's called the "city of trees" or something because it has the densest urban tree canopy of any major u.s. city. i didn't really notice that at first, but then i started looking up, and yeah, there are a lot of trees. it's like the city forgot to cut them down when they built everything else. kinda nice, actually. makes it feel less like a concrete jungle and more like a...concrete forest? idk.

i stayed in midtown, which is close to a bunch of stuff. the georgia aquarium is there, which i didn't go to because, well, i'm not really an aquarium person. but people seem to like it. and there's the world of coca-cola, which is...a thing. i went because i felt like i had to, and it was fine. lots of coke. like, a lot. they even have a tasting room where you can try different flavors from around the world. some of them are...questionable. let's just leave it at that.

one thing i didn't expect was how hilly it is. i mean, i knew it was near the appalachians, but i didn't realize the city itself is kinda hilly. it's built on a ridge, apparently, and it's the highest major city east of the mississippi. so if you're into elevation, there you go. also, it's on the eastern continental divide, which means rainwater on one side goes to the atlantic and on the other to the gulf of mexico. geography, am i right?

i didn't really explore the neighborhoods much, but i heard decatur and east point are nice if you want to get out of downtown. and if you get bored, marietta and sandy springs are just a short drive away. or, like, 20 miles. same thing, right?

oh, and the food. i didn't really dive into the local cuisine, but i did have some fried chicken because, well, it's the south. it was good. not life-changing, but good. someone told me that the food scene in atlanta is actually pretty diverse, with a lot of international options. so if you're into that, you're in luck.

one thing that struck me was how much history there is. i mean, it's the birthplace of martin luther king jr., so there's that. the martin luther king jr. national historical park is a must-see, even if you're not super into history. it's just...important. and the city played a big role in the civil rights movement, so there's a lot of that vibe around. it's not just a city; it's a place with a story.

but let's be real, it's not perfect. traffic is a thing. like, a big thing. and the public transit is...there, but not great. i ended up ubering everywhere, which was fine but added up. and the skyline is impressive, don't get me wrong, but it's not like new york or chicago. it's got its own thing going on, with those skyscrapers like the bank of america plaza sticking out. it's like the city is saying, "hey, we're here, we're modern, deal with it."

overall, atlanta was fine. it's a city with a lot going on, but it's not going to blow your mind unless you're really into trees or civil rights history. but hey, that's just my take. maybe you'll love it. or maybe you'll be like me and think it's just fine. either way, it's worth a visit if you're in the area.

here's a map if you want to see where i'm talking about:

and here are some pics i found that kinda capture the vibe:

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