So it’s come to that point again; that point where I feel the horrible lurching feeling about leaving people that I’ve met behind, knowing that I might never see them again, and wondering just how far distance can stretch relationships… that time where I piss everybody at home off by missing a time and place that they weren’t part of; where it doesn’t really affect those along the way as much because meeting you is a smaller event in their lives than flying across the world is to you; and the time where you’re forced to either let emotions fade upon your return or go crazy.
Before that though, there’s still some other folk to meet and things to ponder upon. Forgive the jumping around if you will.
Atlanta, Georgia – Museum of High Art
When I was coming back from Nashville I had a few hours worth of layover between busses in Atlanta again. I hopped on the train and went to the Museum of High Art, which was full of everything from furniture to contemporary American stuff. I skipped the floors on ‘European Art’ – partly because it was all old, partly because I didn’t have very much time and couldn’t get round everything.
I’m fairly open minded about things and can appreciate them without having to worry too much about the explanation or made-up purpose or anything else, but something like this….
… really isn’t my cup of tea.
There was some rather interesting things kicking about elsewhere though…
and there was a small section on Warhol, which I always find pretty interesting – more so because of his character than anything else. A death metal band from the US once told me that I looked like Andy Warhol, which was a bit odd.
My pictures have been pretty gash at the moment, and I’m in a position where I don’t think very much of anything I’m doing is any good. We all know that feeling, but it still manages to creep up at inappropriate times. It might well be partly because of the number of pictures you take when you travel that you wouldn’t normally do anything with, but which you neeeeeeed to for posterity’s sake.
Or maybe I’m just taking shiite photos!
I’m couchsurfing for the last few days here in Mobile with a guy called Kenneth. The energy and enthusiasm he has for life and the couchsurfing community in Alabama makes me pretty envious. He doesn’t lock his doors and is so laid back about everything that it puts most people I know (including me) to shame. We’ll be having a whisky or few tomorrow, so there’ll be photos of that to come.
The Alabama v Louisiana State ‘college football’ championship game was on last night, and we watched it in a local bar that was stocked with mental Bama fans. Chris explained the rules a bit, which meant I could actually follow at least some of what was going on. Alabama won with a ‘shutout’ (a clean sheet in our language), so there was a fair bit of celebratory drinking and dancing going on when we headed to a bar afterwards.
Coming out here the past couple of times has done a lot to shake up my outlook a bit, and because of that I felt it was high time to get a tattoo to make sure I didn’t forget that. I only have an out-of-focus instagram pic for now.
Easier said than done mind you. A three mile walk turned into an hour and a half trek which took me along train tracks, under bridges and (running) across highways.
I decided to opt to take a taxi back. Note to one and all: American cities (in general) aren’t really designed for people to walk anywhere. The car is king.
Not quite sure what I’m going to do tomorrow during the day, but we’re going out at night for one last swan song. I’m going to try not think about it just now.
…or the plane journey home. Or how to get back from Edinburgh airport… or…