Hello,
A little over a week ago, I had eyelid surery in Atlanta. I'm now back in Montreal and wanted to share some pictures of my time there.
I had already visited Atlanta (for less than 24 hours) for my first appointment back in March. This time, I was going to stay a couple of days for the surgery, and then for my one-week post-op appointment.
The first two days after surgery, I stayed mostly in my hotel room, rotting in bed while icing my eyelids. The three days after that, I finally went out.
Visiting Downtown & Atlantic Station
The first day I went out, I headed downtown. I didn't have any particular plans and didn't really know what was downtown, but since it's the downtown area, it seemed logical to go there and see what I could find.
I got off at Five Points Station and ended up on Peachtree Street. It was around 8:30 AM and it was shaping up to be a beautiful, sunny day. 🌞 I started walking and passed some Georgia State buildings. The atmosphere felt a bit strange. There weren't many people walking around, except for what seemed to be homeless or lower-income individuals. It might have been because it was a Saturday and school (university) was out that it felt so quiet.
I kept walking, but I wasn't really enjoying it. The streets were pretty, with trees and green spaces, but there was quite a bit of homelessness.
Eventually, I ended up back near the train station and talked to a security staff member. He confirmed I was in downtown, but that to get to the "prettier" part (sorry), I should've turned left instead of going straight. I followed his advice, and sure enough, the area transitioned into a more tourist-friendly part.
As I was taking pictures at the entrance of Centennial Olympic Park, I noticed a lot of people in cosplay walking around. Some were coming out of the park, others were walking on the nearby streets, but they all seemed to be heading in the same direction. I figured there must be a comic or anime convention going on.
I've never been to one, so I followed them out of curiosity. Found out there was indeed an event at the Georgia World Congress Center, called MomoCon.
I don't read manga or watch anime, but these events always seem exciting. Some people have truly impressive costumes, there are little stands to shop from, and the whole vibe is upbeat and contagious.
There was a large room where registration took place, so I asked how much a "ticket" cost. Like I mentioned, I've never been to one of these events and have only seen pictures online, so I had no idea what to expect. When they told me it was $60 for the day, I was schocked -- I thought it'd be like $5 lmao. Looking back, with all the different activities scheduled, $60 actually seems fair. But it was still too pricey for me since I'm not a fan of that universe.
When I got there, it was already fairly busy, but within 20 minutes it got packed. Not so crowded that you couldn't walk or breathe, but I was surprised by how many people showed up. I originally thought it was just a small local event.
I overheared people chatting about their hotel rooms, and after leaving the center, I saw folks in cosplay coming out of hotels, so it seemed like a major event that attracted out-of-state visitors.
After leaving the center, I went to Centenial Olympic Park and sat on a bench. It was interesting just watching people in costume passing by on their way to the event.
While sitting there, I wondered what else I could do to entertain myself. I saw the ferris wheel. We also have one in Montreal, but I've never been on it -- or on any ferris wheel, actually. So I thought, why not go for a ride?
There was air conditioning in the cabin, but it's a strong word... It was more like hot air blasting loudly through tiny holes in the ceiling, so not very refreshing. I'd always imagined a ferris wheel ride would be peaceful, but at least on this one, it wasn't.
We did four rounds (though I thought I'd heard it would be three), and the ticket was $19.99. Honestly, it was underwhelming and not worth the price. Maybe at sunset or nighttime it would feel more special. Also, if someone had been there to point out landmarks (whether a guide, a friend, or even a voice-over you could turn on and off), it might've been more interesting.
After the ferris wheel, I kept walking downtown. I had found a tour bus company on Google, but when I arrived, the building looked abandoned. Actually, quite a few buildings downtown seemed abandoned.
Even later in the morning, the streets remained fairly calm despite the fair weather.
Eventually, I thought about going to the cinema (was looking for some cheaper entertainment!). I assumed downtown would have a big mainstream theater, like the Scotiabank one in Montreal... turns out there wasn't. So, I took the train to Arts Center Station to go to Regal Cinema in Atlantic Station.
I had noticed that Atlanta was "vast" compared to Montreal, but at that moment, it really hit me how spread out everything is here. Sorry for flexing a bit, but most things downtown Montreal are within walking distance lol.👌
Atlantic Station is peculiar. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but it feels like a mini-town. Kinda like Disneyland or a movie set. There were restaurants, stores, kiosks, and a big patch of synthetic grass in the middle.
It's right next to a busy road, and the architecture really clashes with the surrounding buildings. It felt artificial, like a theme park.
Unfortunately, the movie I wanted to see (Mission Impossible Part 2) had already started, and the next showing was two hours later. The only movie starting soon was Lilo & Stitch live-action, but I wasn't interested and couldn't bring myself to buy a ticket just for the sake of it.
Atlantic Station was still pleasant to walk around. It was clean, and some streets were closed to cars, making walking easier. There's even a Publix and a Target, which is convenient. I actually stopped by Target to pick up some artificial tears (recommended by my surgeon) for my dry eyes following the surgery. After that, I called it a day and headed back to my hotel.
That day, I got to experience Atlanta's public transportation (beyond just the airport train ride) and it was a great experience.
I took the train and the bus. I was surprised both had air conditioning.
When I went to Regal Cinema, I also took a FREE shuttle bus from Arts Center Station to Atlantic Station. I thought that was pretty neat, though I guess it doesn't change much for people with monthly or yearly passes.
Wandering on the Beltline
From what I had read on Reddit the night before, the east side was apparently a lot of fun and worth visiting.
So the next morning, I got off the train at Inman Park/Reynoldstown Station, thanks to Copilot which had mapped out an itinerary for the day.
There was a restaurant near the station with a little terrace, packed with people having breakfast. For some reason, it reminded me of the diners near the beach in Old Orchard during summer. I took a picture of the restaurant so I could look it up later.
I started walking around the neighborhood to get to the Beltline.
The area was very calm, with lots of trees. It had rained the night before, so it felt a bit humid. I kept wondering about all the bugs probably hiding in the vegetation.
The neighborhood reminded me of one back in my hometown with similar Victorian-style houses. I've always loved that area and always say I'd live there if I ever lived in my hometown.
After about 15 minutes, I found the Beltline trail, which runs north and south. Since I planned to catch a train later, I asked Copilot which way I should go. It suggested going north, since there were popular attractions and it offered an easier connection to the Red Line.
(By the way, Copilot was incredibly helpful. I don't usually like planning every detail of a day; all the research into attractions and transit stuff overwhelms me. But Copilot took care of it all based on what I asked and what I needed. :D I'll definitely use it again in the future.)
I was excited to see the Beltline though wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how lively it was.
The trail had lots of walkers, joggers, cyclists, e-scooters, and even rollerbladers.
I was surprised by how many e-scooters there were (in Montreal, it's mostly cyclists you see). There were tons of dogs too, all well-behaved. Despite the crowd, I didn't witness any accidents, though a few younger people did ride their e-scooters a bit recklessly.
The trail is very diverse, which makes walking enjoyable because the views keep changing.
I passed a supermarket that had some "gourmet" food. I wasn't hungry, but I bought a water bottle since I had just finished mine.
This spot was nice. I sat on a stone bench right next to the patio, in the shade, and just relaxed, feeling drowsy. More people were starting to walk along the Beltline, and the weather was getting hotter.
After a while, I stood up and reached Ponce City Market just seconds later.
Ponce City Market was quite nice.
After exploring the inside, I went outside where there were more restaurants and stores.
Then I resumed walking, and soon, more and more people started joining the Beltline. I began to hear music and noticed lots of people crossing the street, heading towards what seemed to be Piedmont Park.
Normally, I'd explore the park, but the music was loud and the crowd was huge (my picture doesn't show the full scene). It looked like a music festival, and since I'm not really into those, I just observed from a distance before moving on.
Thank God I had decided to buy a water bottle at the supermarket earlier, because I had no idea I wouldn't see another store past Piedmont Park. It was getting increasingly hotter, and that water was certainly appreciated.
I was getting slightly tired of walking. There were fewer people around. I started wondering if I was still even on the Beltline (I was). It felt like a never-ending walk...
I saw a sign for Ansley Mall and Ansley Square, but I had no clue what it was and zero desire to explore or shop anymore... I just wanted to go back to my hotel room and crash. So I kept walking stubbornly.
That darn trail just wouldn't end!
... Until I ended up in this random area with low buildings and almost no one around. There was a sign that said "Armour Junction". I saw a train pass by, but no station in sight. Uh oh.
That's when I had the brillant idea to finally check what Copilot had told me (no idea why I didn't look earlier). Reading it again, I realized I was supposed to leave the trail around Piedmont Park to catch the train's Red Line. I had overshot that by a solid 30 mins of walking.
I absolutely didn't want to backtrack (it felt like I had been walking FOR HOURS from Piedmont Park to here). I knew I could always call an Uber, but I didn't want to spend a hefty amount of money. I felt stuck. 😑
I opened Google Maps with no hope, but lo and behold, it showed a nearby bus stop served by a bus heading to Lindbergh Station -- and the bus was arriving in less than 15 mins. From Lindbergh Station, I caught another bus back to my hotel in Dunwoody. Whew!
Shopping at Perimeter Mall
The third day, I went to Perimeter Mall which I'd heard was a popular shopping spot.
I didn't expect to come across an Altar'd State store, so I was excited! I'd seen the brand in Bama Rush TikToks and loved their Fall 2024 collection, though I never ordered anything (not sure if they even ship to Canada).
They have the cutest summer dresses. I spent a while checking everything out and ended up buying a dress and a romper.
On the left: This dress with a porcelain-like pattern was in the sale section. This isn't the first time I see such pattern and I think we'll be seeing a lot of these this summer. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the dress and couldn't find it on the website.
On the right: It's the Lainey Double Layered Romper which I fell in love with at first sight! It reminds me of old-school Liz Lisa chiffon dresses. It's also available in pink, but blue looks better on me. I love that it looks like a dress but has shorts underneath.
The dress has a side zipper but no shirring at the back. As for the romper, it has shirring but no zipper.
In case you're wondering what happened to my right arm -- I burned myself with hot water while in Atlanta... I'm applying vitamin E now, but the pharmacist told me I should've started right after the burn. (I only started once I got back to Montreal, so one week after the incident. 😞)
Now, the romper. I originally tried it without a bra and liked it, but when I tried it again at home with a push-up bra, it fit much better. I think it's because I have a long torso, and the bra helps reduce the "flatness" that makes it seem even longer. 🥲 However, the model on the website wears it without much padding (and has a shorter torso) and it looks great on her!
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I also visited Kendra Scott, a jewelry store mentioned in Bama Rush TikToks, but nothing really caught my eye. Most of the jewelery was gold, and after a colour analysis session, I learnt that silver suits me best.
I flew back to Montreal the next morning.
While taxiing to the runway, I wondered why it was taking so long... turns out there was a line of planes waiting to take off! I haven't flown often and it was my first time seeing that many planes queued up.
