Hanging Out in Dawgland “Exploring”

That’s right. I’m in Dawg Heaven. Athens Georgia. Where school pride is the rule of the day. University of Georgia. UGA. Ugga’s home. Call it what you will. It’s one of my favorite cities on the planet. Steeped in history and all things southern. It is a jewel in Georgia’s crown. Only 30 minutes from my home, I come here often.The energy and vibe are intoxicating.  It makes me happy. Every time I visit, I want to live here. In the heart on the downtown district.

At the moment I am sitting outside the Transmetropolitan. A local eatery that sells mostly pizza. Not JUST pizza. GREAT pizza.  The service is nothing short of stellar, and I can watch the city dwellers walk by the whole time I’m here.Wicker chairs are a nice touch too. How very southern of them. I ordered the thickest I was hooked. slice and the darkest cold beer they had. Yep. It’s a good day to be me.

Becoming single at my age, and not having developed one hobby. I had way too much time on my hands. I looked at the usuals. Golf, tennis, hanging out, whatever that means, and going to singles events. None really fit my personality. The first girl I dated took me to a little town by the name, Serenbe. I was hooked. Although she and I didn’t make it. Exploring small towns stuck. I knew that all hobbies had a name. I gave it one. I call it exploring. Many of my passions are fed through this. Adventure, knowledge, history, the outdoors, beauty, art, and people. Exploring it is.

My meter needs to be fed soon. Yes. Almost all of them charge for parking. Maybe it pays for some of the things I like about these towns. I hope so. After lunch I will take yet another tour of the town. Stating I can’t get enough would be wrong. But I haven’t had enough today. I will probably find another table on the street and listen to the city live. I’m convinced they have a life of their own. Although I doubt my scientific or religious friends would agree. Some beliefs are simply fun to have. I like this one.

I’ve been here several hours and still haven’t met anyone famous. I do every now and then on my journeys. Of course. Define famous. I go some places are are treated like I am. And I’m a nobody.

I am combining business with all this pleasure I find in this wonderful town. My friend, April will be stopping by soon. We are talking about starting an online community news outlet. It falls inline with my boots on the ground style of doing life. Changing your immediate area is all any of us can accomplish. Just what’s in our small ordit. Once you learn this, you can laugh when people become so frustrated at this president or that one. We do not matter to them, so they should not matter to us. Let it go and change what you can. Far more productive.

As I sit is a little more upscaled place, Volstead. I wait upon my friend. I’ve never enjoyed waiting this much. Athens just speaks to me. It’s a noisy little town. It hasn’t stopped since I arrived this morning. Delivery trucks, the hustle and bustle of nice people, living their lives. Cars going by every few seconds. Many restaurants and pubs play music outside. Yet, I find peace in all the chaos. Peace in turmoil. The irony is thick. If you ever have a chance to vist this little hamlet, don’t miss it. If a 5 star from me matters, and it really shouldn’t. Come see.

k@kstepp.com

Founder, American Angel Works