All that is America

It's hard to imagine three more distinct and varied experiences in America; from rural Alabama to the megalopolis of New York and on to the modern city of Atlanta. Without any intention of derision, it's like journeying from the countryside that seldom wakes to the city that never sleeps and onto a place that thrives happily in the space between. In a similar fashion to many of the places I have visited, there is a lot to love about this country, but there are also some things that should be questioned.

It has been great spending my last few days of this trip in Atlanta. The people and the place still have the hint of the familiar. In keeping with the theme of the last three weeks, my time in Atlanta has been mainly about catching up with friends from my summers working at Camp Toccoa. Steve and Leah have a gorgeous recent addition to their family in the form of Cannon, their 7 month old son.

A couple of days ago, we ventured down to the Georgia Aquarium and delighted in the huge array of animals on display and interactive opportunities. Atlanta being the birthplace of Coca Cola, we also wandered through the 'New World of Coca Cola.' It is all incredibly commercial, but it was fascinating to wander through the displays and gain a new appreciation for the impact that coke has had on pop culture. The tasting room, in which you can sample all 64 types of drink made by the company (different tastes and flavours marketed in different countries around the world), felt like swimming through a room full of sugar.

Yesterday I caught up with Gillen, another friend from camp, and had my first introduction into racing go karts. When you sit that close to the ground, it feels a lot faster than the 60km/h or so we actually reached. Over a few beers at the local bar that night, I realised that my knowledge does not translate quite so well into American trivia nights.

And so it has come time to shut this down and head for the airport to begin the long journey home. Rather than muse and reflect on the past 3 months now, I will collect my thoughts and see what sort of order I can put them into.