Georgia On My Mind

Today marks the tenth anniversary of my move from PA to Atlanta, and in many ways the beginning of my adulthood. True, I had lived through the college years, had 2 kids, but now I was going to do something with my life. I had reached a ridiculous level of depression and melancholy. I was "stuck" in restaurants, living with my Dad, and muddling through Scranton life. I had known for at least a year that I would be moving away, just where and when were always the question. DC? North Carolina? LA? Atlanta was on my list, but far, far down. Then I got the opportunity in August of '99 to help my friend Mel move to Atlanta. And what an eye-opener that trip was. I fell in love with the city immediately, and started to make plans to move there.

It took a few months to get everything in order, but soon I was driving down I-85 into the beautiful lit-up Southern jewel. It stands 2nd only to Mansfield as the best move I ever made. What about DC, you say? True, I met my wife here, and started my baseball career here, but neither would have been possible without the leap of faith (with the help of some dear friends) that it took to move 850 miles from everyone and everything I knew. And it wasn't always easy- searching for a job, the Carl melt-down, driving 13 hours to see friends and family. But the people I met, the jobs I worked at, the ambiance of a city that was still in the after-glow of the '96 Olympics, the cultural changes..it was wonderful.

I moved from Atlanta to be closer to family and friends in 2003, and unfortunately I have not been back. The plan is to change that next year, and to show Staci what I have been gushing about all these years- that Atlanta is one of the best cities in the country, and more importantly, the place that gave me my life back.