Thursday, December 12, 2013

Day 94 - To Atlanta

To Atlanta at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking near Alexandria, Virginia
Distance - 638 miles
Time - 11 hours

I woke up a little sadly on Thursday because it was time to say goodbye to the Browns and DC. I made it upstairs in time to say goodbye to Mama Brown before she left for work, and Papa Brown saw me off in style, complete with the family tradition of waving a hanky (or whatever else is at hand, in my case it was a napkin) until the person leaving reaches the end of the street and turns the corner. (I might have teared up a little - I know I hardly ever see them but when I do they always make me feel like a part of the family)

Thankfully it wasn't quite time to leave yet - first it was time for breakfast! I got my goodbye hug from Toph and then Katie and I headed out to the IHOP near her office to spend a last hour talking and laughing. Then it was time for her to go to work and time for me to get on the road! It's been a while since I've done a long all-day drive, but I really enjoyed it, particularly since I had cell reception most of the way and could spend some time chatting.

The weather was overcast most of the way, but as I approached Atlanta it became a torrent of rain - it was getting to the point that I really did consider pulling over at one point, but thankfully most everyone else was just as concerned so we were all going equally slow. I finally arrived at the FedEx center where Laura works around 9pm, very glad to be off the wet roads! Laura and I met in Denver one summer when I was home from college and have stayed sporadically in touch ever since. She has the most amazing memory not only for historical events but also for every detail her friends tell her about themselves - some days I think she could write an entire book of all the things about myself that I've forgotten. She lived in Atlanta before moving to Denver and seems very happy to be back. She has quickly established herself as an event photographer for a number of the local magazines and online papers, so we went on a bit of a driving tour around town, seeing some of the places she remembered and visiting some of the bars and clubs where she regularly gets hired to take photos.

Gray day on I-85
 Welcome to Georgia
It took me a minute but I finally realized why this particular queen looked familiar - it's Phoenix from RuPaul's Drag Race (and she was much more confident in 5 inch stiletto heels than I will ever be!)

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