UGA Softball

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This past weekend, I went farther south into the green world of Athens, Georgia. It was my first time out of North Carolina since I came down here on exchange, and it was such a fun experience. The UNCW softball girls rented a couple SUVs (2007s) and headed on the road on Friday. It took about 7 hours to get from Wilmington, NC to Athens, Georgia but the ride was a lot of fun.

The first thing was saw was a place called 'South of the Border' that lies right across the North Carolina/South Carolina line. It's a cute little, Mexican world full of firework stands, some rides (twirling sombreros of all things), and lots of mexi-food. We didn't get to stop in, but it definately looks a fun tourist attraction if you have the time.

As we continued on our merry way, we passed through Columbia, SC and headed towards Augusta, Georgia. Along the way, as the sun was shining brightly, I looked to my right and there was a small river flowing alongside the highway with thick trees surrounding both sides. And I was surprised to see how much untouched land and nature that there was on the drive down I-95. Especially looking out at the Georgia countryside...it was amazing.

There was this one house about 200 feet from the road that was on the giant plot surrounded by green and these trees right in front of it, sort of forming a wall against the road, but you could still see through the trees at this beautiful old home. And the front lawn and the back were just all this bright, rich green from the merciless sun beaming down above. It was such a beautiful house...I wish I would've gotten a picture.

Athens itself was such a beautiful city. After our first day of games (2 we won, 1 we lost) in Jefferson (small place 30 min. from Athens) we showered then headed to downtown where this vibrant city was just booming with life. The hotel we were at was in "the ghetto" and very unexciting...it was like a completely different world from downtown. That's why I was surprised when downtown was so full of life. There were all these little pubs and cafes and people were sitting outside at tables as the night was a perfect, comforting heat that seemed like a perfect temperature. And the little tavern that we had dinner at was bare at first, but filled up when 8:30pm rolled around (aka, when college students finally wake up and head back out into the world). It was just all very surprising, but comforting...vibrant but not crowded...exciting and lively but not pressuring. I really liked Athens and the fact that UGA is right, smack dab in the middle of downtown with its large, Southern-style buildings and large marble pillars towering above with all of the trees.

Georgia as a whole surprised me with its liveliness and beautiful nature. Even though we lost on our second day of softball games, I loved getting the chance to see the Georgia countryside. It was also fun spending a weekend with a bunch of girls that you hardly know and being able to learn so much new stuff about them. I think it was the diverse group of girls I was with that also made the trip so much fun and an amazing addition to my little visit to the south. The only thing I regret is that I didn't have my camera most of the time so I only got to snap three pictures (the others was taken by a friend) at the Athens parking garage. Maybe I'll come visit Georgia again. And if it weren't for the humidity, it would be the perfect blend of city and nature.

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Photos

UNCW softball girls in an elevator
This picture if the sole property of the UNCW softball participant Mandy and was not taken by me. (You may have guessed that because I am in the picture).