The shadows were long and the still skeletal winter trees were projected onto the buildings. I walked in downtown Athens. I was on North Lumpkin Street walking to dinner a couple of days ago. I had arrived on the back roads, coming from an afternoon up in Elbert County.
Athens was quiet, the thousands of University of Georgia students were mostly away on spring break. Only a few students and locals talked on the patios of the bars or hung out next to the Starbucks on the corner of College Avenue and East Broad Street. It was a tame evening for Athens that could have been any other small southern city on a Sunday.
A crane rose to mark the growth of the city. Downtown Athens felt strange without the student population doing anything but studying. It was like staying too late at a party and only the stragglers remain. I like Athens, but I like it more when the student energy is spilled across the sidewalk like cheap beer and bad first dates.
I had hunted for a particular place to eat that was supposed to be open, but even it was closed for spring break. I kept walking looking to try a new place. My reasons for being in Athens was to eat and have a walk.
I ended up having a nice dinner at some fancy new place. I pondered whether this place was too nice for Athens over my craft chocolate/coffee beer. I felt trendy and hipsterish for a few moments minus one of those strange and unsightly beards.
The kiosk for the Little Free Library was looking barren, especially for a university town.
City Hall looked important as I walked by. The spring warmth faded with the light and the street lamps came on.
The sun set and a jet left contrails in the sky. I departed for Atlanta.
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