One of the best things about Atlanta is its diversity. My dad told me that Atlanta is statistically more culturally diverse than New York City, and one cruise down Buford Highway will make you believe it. Within a five mile radius of the city you can find a place serving authentic cuisine from insert-any-country-name-here. That being said, I haven’t been taking advantage of it at all, so take this as my encouragement to you to get out and explore the neighborhood more often. You may find something you never would have tried otherwise, and that’s how this adventure began.

Earlier this month I had an unorthodox sort of girls day with my lovely friend Lindsey (but then again, any day in Atlanta is rather avant-garde). Every time Lindsey and I get together we seem to find the most unique things to do, and this outing was no exception. 

She had been wanting to take me to this Ethiopian restaurant, which made me realize I had never had authentic African food before. I had also never been to Monday Night Brewing, and even though the two don’t exactly tie together (if you’ve been to MNB before you’ll get that pun), we decided to kill two birds with one adventurous stone and spend the day exploring one side of midtown to the next.

Apparently, so was everyone else because when I got there, they were already over capacity an hour after they opened. But, somehow I managed to get in and Lindsey (the responsible and punctual one) had already gotten a glass and tickets so we just shared. Some of my favorites were the Fu Manbrew (wheat with a touch of ginger), the Drafty Kilt (described as a ‘roasty’ bombshell), and their classic Eye Patch Ale (upfront, yet sensible). They ran out of the Nerd Alert before I could try it, so it must be pretty good too!

The crowded atmosphere guaranteed that there was a lot of character and Lindsey and I had fun people watching while we waited in line for refills. We spent most of our time in line, but once the main room cleared out a bit Lindsey and I were able to explore the brewery and check out the awesome stuff they had on the walls and ceilings. My favorite was the famous Tie Wall, a collection of abandoned neckwear that was all too fitting for the white collar rebel vibe they’ve got going on. 

By now we were starving, so it was time we hopped over to Desta Ethiopian Kitchen for a well deserved feast (discussing craft beer and human culture all afternoon can really work up an appetite). Sometimes I feel like I’m a slave to American food, with all it’s greasy cheesy deliciousness. Even fresh American food uses distinct flavors, and I was about to experience a ton of new ones that I wasn’t sure I’d like at all. I haven’t studied much about Africa, so it was a great opportunity for my curious self to learn more about Ethiopian culture. 

From the moment I walked in, I loved the ambiance. Artwork covered the walls, and the upstairs seating felt cozy and welcoming. I was glad Lindsey was there, though, because she knew how to navigate the menu and explained the process. I’ll do my best to relay this back to y’all. 

Everything you order comes with some type of bread, and Lindsey talked me in to going the traditional route and getting Injera which is a spongy flatbread used to scoop up food (makes it way easier to eat!). It was fun trying all of the different things on Lindsey’s platter and I loved learning what all of the different names meant. The menu also had a list of common Ethiopian phrases, which is where I learned that “Desta” means happiness. And that sums up my experience eating there, I left feeling full of happiness. 

I loved spending the day with one of my best friends and learning so much from our little adventure. If you’re in the mood to try something new, I highly recommend Desta. It’s warm atmosphere will leave you in high spirits with an open mind. If you have any suggestions for where I should explore next, drop a comment below! ​

I don’t know about you, but 2016 is quickly becoming the busiest year I’ve ever had (but I’m enjoying the hell out of it). In the past month I’ve spent time with almost all of my favorite people, gotten back into a kick-ass work flow (when it comes to my real job at least), and I’ve been able to put some of my anxieties in perspective long enough to realize everything really is going to be okay. Every day has its challenges and victories, and it feels good to have my determination back. It feels even better, because I made progress on 10 goals this month, and crossed off 3 of them! Still no fitness progress yet, but I’m basking in plenty of adventures on a daily basis. Let’s recap some of them, shall we?

Completed will be bolded. In Progress will be italicized. Incomplete items will stay normal.

Start date: May 15, 2015  
End date: February 9, 2018
{11 COMPLETE, 90 TO GO}

I’ve begun making progress on goal #3, and I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to actually cross this off soon. When I put this goal on my list, never in my life would I have thought that a political campaign would be a good cause worth volunteering for. And then Bernie Sanders came along. I’m skeptical about all politics, and I tend to both agree and disagree with both major parties. There isn’t one answer to any issue facing this country, and while I will delve into my political scope another time (when I get the nerve to actually do it), I feel that Senator Sanders understands this. With his completely publicly funded campaign, and his “Us, not them” slogan, I truly feel that Bernie believes in the people.

​I discovered three new restaurants this month, and I’m still deciding which was my favorite. On New Year’s Day I went out for lunch with  my buddy Thomas and my cousins Sarah, Kyla and Will. Sarah, Thomas and I were all still hype from Bassnectar the night before, but we knew we couldn’t leave Birmingham without some real southern food.

In the middle of the month, my friend Colleen and I realized we were way overdue for some beer and burgers. And, since we both work in Alpharetta, we figured it’d be perfect to find a good local place for dinner. She recommended Hop Alley, which is a cozy micropub that is bursting with atmosphere and delicious scents (like bacon.. so much bacon). Colleen has never steered me wrong when it comes to food, so that’s how we ended up splitting a bacon peanut butter jar for an appetizer. Picture a mason jar full of bacon and a thing of whipped fluffy peanut butter to dip it in. It was perfect. Add in the delicious cocktails, on-point girl talk, and a super good meatloaf sandwich, and I was one happy girl. I’ll have to go back sometime and try their beer (I’m slightly impressed with my ability to completely avoid hops at a place called Hop Alley). 

It was also a good month for adventuring, as I mentioned earlier. I was so happy I got to celebrate my brother’s birthday while he was still in town, and you can read up on our family outing to Burnt Hickory Brewery to hear all about it. That makes three new breweries I’ve visited since May, and another goal crossed off the list. I have a feeling I’m going to spill over on this goal (no pun intended) as there are still a lot of beer havens I’ve yet to explore (Monday Night, Reformation and Creature Comforts to name a few!). 

Something I haven’t had a lot of time for lately is crafting. I know I sound like a forlorn sorority sister right now, but I’ve always been a crafter - all of the women in my family are, and they show it in different ways. I was browsing around Michael’s during the holiday season and I saw an ad for a jewelry making class and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the tools and tricks to jewelry making, because I really want to learn how to do wire wrapping. And then, I thought to myself that my friend Lindsey would totally be down for this, and would guarantee that we’d be laughing the whole time. So I booked a spot for the both of us, and we learned how to make a triple nested necklace. Each of ours were a little different, and we're both proud of how well we did for our first time. Lindsey has some crafty blood in her too, we both undoubtedly take after our moms. It was definitely a fun night, topped off with bread bowls from Panera, oh yes.

I’m still working on the finishing touches for a post that requires a lot of tender-hearted deep thinking called 'Making Up For Lost Time'. If you’re as intuitive as I think you are, you’ve already figured out that Vinnie is a part of my life again. You’ll have to sit tight for his proper reintroduction on Eclectic Avenue, but for topic’s sake, we had ourselves a date night earlier this month. We had as much fun as we always do, especially when we found a used vinyl shop on the way to dinner. 

Before I wrap this up, I have to add that yeah, I was one of the millions who thought that this would be the time I’d win the mega jackpot and become a billionaire. Didn’t win, but at least I crossed off another goal! My dreams of being an affluent traveler will have to be put on hold, yet again. While I wait, I think I’ll go tackle another month’s worth of goal progress. Don’t be afraid to join :).