Intern's Note

by Brittany Biddy

As a new intern with Bulldawg Illustrated and Guide2Athens, it only took me about two seconds to decide what I wanted to write about in my Intern’s Note. Since I will be focusing on life and events in Athens, how could I not mention downtown and everything it has to offer?

Fall semester was winding down and my roommates and I knew we wouldn’t be seeing each other for about three weeks as we all headed home for the holidays. I’m one of the lucky ones who considers my roommates some of my best friends. We then all decided at that fateful moment during finals week that we would be spending New Years Eve in Athens, together, as we counted down to 2011.

As we got out of the car downtown on December 31, 2010, I instantly knew it was New Year’s Eve. Like I would have been able to forget. Ladies were dressed in rhinestones and four-inch heels, while boys were equally suave in Polos and khakis. I was personally donning my L.B.D., or Little Black Dress for you more fashion challenged individuals, as I counted down the last ten seconds of 2010 with my best friends. We all remember where we were as the clock struck midnight and I can’t help but wonder what everyone else was doing at that exact moment.

I’m proud and hope that you feel a hint of jealousy as I celebrated the new year in one of my favorite cities. The Classic City was so crowded downtown and resembled a game day on steroids. Good thing I don’t know anyone battling claustrophobia. It looked as if the infamous Georgia vs. Florida rivalry had taken over Athens as the Battle of the Borders migrated to become a Battle over Broad. The weather was perfect and the bars had lines like I’ve never seen before. The smiles on everyone’s faces as groups waited to cross busy intersections proved that even the longest of lines were definitely worth the wait.

It wasn’t just the bars that received all the business, but restaurants and other local hotspots accepted the surge in downtown attendance. Typical Athens restaurants were being craved as if they were foreign delicacies while the night’s festivities were winding down. We waited twenty minutes for a booth at The Grill, but despite that extra wait, the fries and feta dipping sauce have never tasted so good.

There’s nothing else in my life that can quite compare to Athens. The feeling is definitely contagious and the energy is unimaginable. The atmosphere is almost overwhelming if it is your first time driving down Milledge Avenue or walking around North Campus, making sure to sidestep The Arch, of course. New Year’s Eve in Athens was just one aspect of the Classic City that I adored.

So I ask you to reflect on where you were at midnight on January 1, 2011. It doesn’t matter if you had a New Year’s kiss or even if you spent the night in watching MTV drop Snooki in a glass ball. As long as you enjoyed yourself then 2011 is bound to be unforgettable.

I know that I wouldn’t put myself anywhere else but Athens, and downtown that evening is a mental picture that I’ll never forget. I hope you enjoy the pictures on page 13 that I took that night at Magnolia’s and Boar’s Head so you too can experience Athens like I did. I’m incredibly lucky to have spent New Year’s Eve with amazing people. I was in an amazing city, that I will have the pleasure of writing about because life in Athens never disappoints me.

Tagged: classic city, athens ga, brittany biddy, interns at bulldawg illustrated, guide2athens, new years eve in athens