An Unforgettable Night In Atlanta

I don’t need therapy. I just need to go to Atlanta – Unknown

When I found out Blind Justice won the Best Short Film award at Flix Reps Film Festival, I was ecstatic. Blind Justice didn’t do too well in the other film festivals as I’d hoped. But the feeling of euphoria was short-lived when I found out the award ceremony was going to be in Atlanta (ATL).

Atlanta and I are definitely not friends!

Our last encounter took place about five years ago when I decided to take an unplanned trip to Atlanta. I had to use some last-minute vacation time, and I didn’t want to spend it sitting at home.

I’d heard so much about Atlanta and how fun it was, so I said, “Why not? Let’s see what all the hype is about.” I went to my trusted source, The Blonde Abroad, and couldn’t find any posts on Atlanta. I also did a lot of google research on Things to Do in Atlanta and none of them really excited me.

So, despite my better my better judgement, I went to Atlanta. I arrived at my hotel still positive and asked the handsome security guard, what is there to do in the city? He tells me, “Atlanta is mainly known for the night life”.  (OMG! I’m so not a party girl)

 Let’s just say, by my last day in Atlanta, I was even more exhausted and irritated than when I got there. I literally swore to myself that I would never go back to Atlanta for any type of leisure again. Now, here I am, five years later going back on that swear.

Well, second time is the charm, right?

Now, first things first, I had to decide if I wanted to fly out Friday afternoon after work or early Saturday to attend the ceremony Saturday evening. I ended up choosing Friday morning because things never go well when I’m rushing to get somewhere or do something. So, I submitted vacation time for one day and booked a Delta flight.

But when it came to booking a hotel, I was having major issues. All of the hotels were booked for that weekend. Literally, all of them! What in the world was going on?

After doing some research, I found out that Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX World Tour and Dragon Con were happening that weekend also. Determined, I managed to find a hotel 45-minutes away from the Atlanta Airport. It was fairly priced, and the reviews weren’t bad. So, I booked a room for two nights.

Fast forward, it’s now 4am Friday morning with my flight leaving at 9am and I hadn’t finished packing. Why I decided to book a 9am flight when I already have trouble making it to work by 9am, is beyond me. (Very stupid decision). I finally make it to the airport and ended up missing my flight by three minutes and the next available flight wasn’t until 4pm. (Sheesh)

What made me even more pissed was that I had a hunch to buy a traveling laptop the day before and I ignored it. Now, here I am, stuck at the airport for the next six hours, with a ton of work still left to do before my premiere.

I had to use this time wisely, so I went to the nearest Best Buy, bought a Chromebook, and stuffed my face with sushi and green tea. (Now I feel a little bit better). I unboxed the Chromebook and headed back to the airport. I sat in the waiting area of the gate where my flight was scheduled to take off, opened the Chromebook and it doesn’t work with my hotspot. (You’ve got to be kidding me!)

Breathe Gia. Just breathe.

I managed to stick it out by reading Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer and watching Pop the Balloon on YouTube until it was finally time to board my flight.

I landed in Atlanta by 8pm and made it to my hotel. The air in the room was really weird. I found it hard to breathe in and out smoothly. But no matter, I was only going to be there for 2 days, so I took a quick shower and went straight to sleep. I woke up the next day, got a facial at Blue Divine Aesthetics, and went to a nearby cafe called The Salty Donut (so good) to complete the Blind Justice website.

Fast forward, it’s three hours before the ceremony, and it’s time to head back to my hotel. I called an Uber to pick me up and it was a disaster. For some reason, their app wasn’t letting their drivers pick me up at The Salty Donut’s location. I lost three uber drivers who ended up charging me and had to walk to a nearby shopping center before an Uber could actually pick me up. (I’m so ready to go back home at this point!)

I finally make it to the award ceremony, and it was amazing. I met so many royal influential people in the entertainment industry and even got to premiere my trailer. Everybody was in such awe and amazement. I was told many times, “It gave me chills”.

Whew!

Now, I’m happy. Now, I want to go dancing because I deserve to have some fun.

In the end, Atlanta was a success. Second time really is the charm! 🙂

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Other posts you may be interested in:

• The Blind Justice Film Premiere (DMV): From Concept To Curtain
• A Traveler’s Love Post To Art In London
• How To Add ADR & Finish A Short Film?

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The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.