Exploring Athens

As I am quickly approaching my final semester at UGA, I find myself often thinking back to freshman year, and even before that when I was still considering where I wanted to go to college. By now, I think I have a fairly good grasp on the city of Athens and all that it has to offer, and it's hilarious to think about how different I viewed it upon my first visit my junior year of high school. As I sat and had lunch at the Last Resort with my family, I had no idea that it was one of the major landmarks of Athens. Back then, UGA was a beautiful campus that was so huge it was intimidating and Athens was a charming little college town. 

Over the last 3 and a half years, I have really made an effort to experience all that I can. Knowing that Athens isn't a place I will stay post-grad, it is becoming more and more apparent how much I want to do and accomplish before May. Rather than eating at Taqueria del Sol twice a week, I have made the effort to try new restaurants if I am going to dine out, allowing for a deeper understanding that the hole-in-the-wall restaurants are the heart and soul of Athens. Rather than going to the same 2 bars every night out, I have made the effort to go see more concerts at the theater, or to go visit with locals at the Globe or Blue Sky, proving that there really is so much more to Athens than the students it houses. And the list could go on and on. 

What all of this has taught me is to appreciate each and every aspect of Athens. Athens is about the twinkling lights down Clayton during Christmas season. It's about the locals inhabiting every corner, often finding a way to brighten my day. It's about the 80 bars and countless restaurants within just 1 square mile. Athens is about so much more than The University of Georgia and the students that live here, but I am so thankful that I have gotten to call it home. 

I am so glad that I was wrong about Athens (in the best way possible), and it has been the very best place to explore these last 4 years.