Category Archives: Life In Atlanta

Learning the Art of Doing Nothing

2nd February 2013

This morning, I set out to run for my first weekend run in a few weeks. Lucky for me, it was also one of the coldest Saturday mornings we have had all season here (read 35 degrees, this is Atlanta, not Chicago). As I haven’t run more than four miles consistently in a few weeks, I headed out to the river for an easy six miles.

Keeping with my resolution to take things a little slower, I decided to simply enjoy the day and not focus on my pace or setting record distance. When I pulled in, I realized I had forgotten my headphones, meaning I really ~~was forced~~ did get to enjoy six miles in nature. The six miles surprisingly flew by, I felt great despite the cold and finished with an average pace much faster than expected. Win.

Efforts like this deserve rewards. Enter Land of a Thousand Hills. If you have not been to this hidden Atlanta gem of a coffee shop, you are most definitely missing out. Tucked away off of the Chattahoochee River within the Walton apartment complex, this little coffee shop not only makes fantastically crafted drinks, but also has a killer view.

I love this spot as a post-run treat, but today was the first time I visited by my lonesome. Taking things slow is not a virtue of mine. I’m not ~~quite~~ whatsoever a master of “doing nothing”, as P seems to say to me once a week, “slow down turbo”.

Hot chocolate in hand {confession, I actually HATE coffee}, I spent the next hour literally enjoying the view {OK, I may have taken one Instagram and checked-in on Foursquare, but that was it, I swear}. Taking things slower certainly means moving in baby steps for me, but this was a perfect ending to a solo morning.

How do you spend your down time? How do you love to spend a day doing nothing?

I’m Movin’ Out (best read in your Billy Joel voice)

20th January 2013

After two years in our first post-grad apartment, my roommate are on to bigger and better things. We wrestled with the idea of moving last year around this time, but oh the boxes, the cold, the reconfiguring. Nope. Not happening. We stayed put. However, the time has come to bid our current pad adieu and make a change.

When we first decided to make the leap from our cozy, suburb, rent-free places of residence a little over two years ago, making a decision was simple. We worked with a local rental source (Promove) who basically did all of the work for us, with flexible move-in dates. It was fantastic. And easy. Seriously, if you are looking to make a move in Atlanta, go visit the guys at Promove.

However, this time around, no one gave us a heads up that switching apartments in grown up world and in a big city isn’t quite like moving in college where everyone operates on the same schedule and has visited every location in town.

Our apartment “must haves”:

Less than $50 – $75 increase in current rent (though ideally less)

Nearby running trails

Safety – some form of gate / alarm

Two bathrooms

Large closets (seriously, this is Atlanta, not New York – we can afford not to budge on that one)

A view – maybe. A girl can dream, right?

Since I’m certain I’m not the only twenty something figuring all of this out for the first time, here are the top four things we have learned in the last few months.

Don’t begin seriously looking more than 60 days out, in our case, we really didn’t even start to see things opening up until less than 30 days from move out date.
Craigslist is not entirely sketchy. We found more leads here than anywhere else, but always, always use your best judgement and take a friend when viewing a place. Also, check out PadMapper.com. This site basically takes posts from Craigslist and other similar sites and maps them for you.
Use your mobile device to your advantage. We ended up finding our new place through an ad on Trulia. Trulia and Zillow are excellent sources for storing your favorite spots and seeing places on the go.
Ask all of the right questions. We knew we didn’t want to be in a typical complex, which often means less rules and less tenants managed. Be sure to ask about deposits, potential move-in dates, pets, etc. as the management, building or owner views may vary.

Most important of all, have fun! Yes, it’s stressful. Of course with a month to go I wanted to know where I would be living next month. But…by taking the due diligence and patience route, it paid off. My roommate and I found a place that fits every requirement on our list (and then some) and even came in under budget. While I can’t wait to own a home to call my own, I cannot wait to jump ship and get to re-decorating, Pinteresting and making our new apartment, home.

What tips do you have from moving experiences? How did you find your current dream place?

2012: A Year in Review

3rd January 2013

OK, so I’m a little behind on the “how great 2012 was” posts, but in all of its cheesy goodness, 2012 was a pretty great year. From new friends, triumphs personally and professionally to a few fantastic adventures with loved ones, 2013 has some big shoes to fill. Month-by-month, here are just a few of its highlights:

January: I started the new year embarking on a new tradition with colleagues who also double as great friends (funny how that works). Our book club, morphed into craft club, which quickly became wine club and it’s still one of my favorite monthly traditions.
February: I made my first ever ski trip and it turned out not nearly as terrifying as I expected. Three days, a few blue-black runs later, I was hooked and found a new passion.
March: I ran my second half marathon with one of my dearest friends and despite the never ending hills, we beat our goal of 2:05, coming in at 2:03. I was psyched. Just a few months later, another friend dragged me across the finish line of my third half at a time of 1:49. It’s impossible to think I took 17 minutes off of my very first half marathon just over a year ago. Training pays off, and better yet, falling in love with a sport that revolves around free time with my favorite people.
April: P and I wound up with free entry into Atlanta’s Great Urban Race. Awesomeness and a lot of running ensued and landed us a trip to Vegas.
May: My baby brother graduated from UGA, marking the second of four Dennihy kids to do so. My ties from UGA are officially cut (for now, come on siblings three and four). This was a heartbreaker, for the first time in six years, Athens no longer offers a dedicated couch to sleep on.
June: I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago several times over the summer for work, talk about blessings for business trips at the most beautiful time of the year. Even the 5:30 am runs were worth it.
July: I took a full week vacation for the first time ever. It was amazing.
August: P and I went to our first UGA game in Alumni seats. Fancy. (This may have been in September, who knows, but the tickets were a birthday gift and that was in August, so it counts.)
September: I went rock climbing outdoors for the first time with my best friend. Another sport I am now hooked on. (Sensing a pattern here…wilderness, no technology…humm).
October: We took a family trip to New York for my Grandma’s 80th birthday. We also had a chance to visit a former mental hospital on Long Island that is now deserted. Yes, an odd tourist destination, but the history buffs in the family (myself included) were thrilled.
November: Vegas! We survived the national championships and are already scheming on how to make it to next year.
December: A week off of work meant lots of time with family and friends. We spent a large portion of it playing things like Words with Friends version 1.0. How primitive.

2012 could not have left me more blessed or with a bigger smile on my face and I cannot wait to see what challenges and adventures 2013 throws my way. What highlights did 2012 bring you?