Day 313

#np - Sunshine by Matisyahu

I love exploring places I've never been.  I love to watch scenery as I drive down the interstate.  I love new restaurants. 

But Columbus, Georgia doesn't have much.  We flew into Atlanta and then rented a car to get to Columbus.  It's about and hour and a half away.  Southwest doesn't fly into Columbus so it was a sacrifice we made in the name of SW Rapid Rewards points.    But getting here was completely uneventful.  As uneventful as the West Kentucky Parkway...without all the potholes.  

I ventured out on foot for food around 9pm.  I was a little scared that everything would be closed given that it was Sunday but I lucked out.  My hotel is in an outdoor shopping district so there are lots of chain restaurants.  I hurried over to Fridays and quickly figured out that they still have smoking sections in their restaurants and sure enough, the bar is a smoking section and that's where you place to go orders.  I sat there for about 30 minutes and I could feel my hair soaking up the smoke.  

I hate to be THAT person - that nonsmoker who hates on smokers.  I mean, no one was blowing it on me.  However, after you get used to YEARS of smoke-free public areas, the concept of "Smoking or Nonsmoking?" is so foreign.  I can't remember the last time I had to take a nighttime shower to wash the smokey smell off of me.  It was all so...weird.

So I guess Columbus isn't doing well so far on my list of favorite places I've traveled for work.  It'll be hard to beat Baltimore/DC and Austin and undoubtedly Seattle will put them all to shame in September.  But I'm willing to give Georgia and the people a couple more chances.  Except for the guy who hit on me at the bar (when I looked like a mess after 8 hours of traveling and just wanted my damn cheesecake), everyone's been pretty nice down here in the heart of the south!